THE ONTOLOGICAL DETECTIVE takes the audience on a
weird, psychologically philosophical ride to places we do not, initially,
expect to go. What starts as a tale of police investigating altered suicide
crime scenes soon turns into an examination of the inner workings of one of
the key players. Different, dark and moody, this odd play takes twists and
turns reminiscent of a dreary, bad dream.
We meet the jaded Detective Luz, assigned to the latest
suicide case. An extremely troubled man who can only seem to sleep on the
subway, he laments the loss of his wife, a probable suicide, and drinks too
much to drown his sorrows. He imagines that partner Robles is his late wife,
adding to his problems, and finds himself the prime suspect of the crime he
has been sent to investigate.
As a counterpoint to the depressing Luz, THE
ONTOLOGICAL DETECTIVE introduces two quirky characters, Young Man and
Skip, who are representative of their monikers, and eerie with unfettered
expression. The Young Man is elusive about his profession, but Skip, a man
of mysterious origins, is the ontological detective Luz is searching for.
Arriving before the police do, he examines, photographs and poses those who
have committed suicide in an attempt to discover something about who they
were.
Yes, this is a strange play, and in the end, although I
think I got it, for most theatergoers THE ONTOLOGICAL DETECTIVE will
require precise attention to every detail. I would doubt that most people
want to "work" when seeing a show, but for those who love a heavily
psychological theme, this is the play for you.
- Kessa De Santis -
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