I attended the first of two presentations of this one-man play at the Camden Fringe and was transfixed by the exceptionally powerful performance of John Stillwaggon and the writing of playwright Bernard J. Taylor. It was transcendent in more ways than one.
Firstly, it transcended the limitations of a venue that was not ideally suited to a theatrical performance. The setting was more of a large room with none of the lighting or other facilities one typically finds in a theatre to enhance the narrative. The only background aspects to help set the scene were some posters from movies and stage productions of Williams’ plays and a few photographs, the most prominent photograph being that of Anna Magnani, who starred in The Rose Tattoo and Orpheus Descending (renamed “The Fugitive Kind” for the movie version). She was a great inpiration for Williams as well as his dearest friend.
However, the limitations of the venue and its setting were quickly vanquished as Stillwaggon breathed vivid life into a play that movingly captured the disintegration of one of the greatest playwrights of the twentieth century. It was among the most riveting and spellbinding acting it has been my privilege to see.
It evoked a range of emotions in the audience, being amusing in parts, heartbreaking in others, but always highly entertaining and absorbing.
If anyone deserves an award for great acting it is John Stillwaggon.
ARTIUM: OMNI 