The
real thing is a subjective, personal experience that must be sought out, fought
for and analyzed until it’s a beaten, tired subject mangled by the intellectual
tools within the human psyche. Is love within us or does it transcend us? Do we
define it on our terms or do we seek to understand its supernatural existence
as it relates to us?
Obviously,
these questions cannot be answered in 15 inches of column space. But Tom Stoppard’s play, “The Real Thing” explores the subjective
multiplicity of the real thing. What these inches and his words do is stimulate
the conversation, the critical assay necessary for all self-discovery. The
impetus for this discussion will open Aug. 17 during PCPA’s
Solvang Theaterfest production of Stoppard’s
play “The Real Thing.”
“It’s
one of those plays that honestly, it forces you to think,” said Beverly Sotelo, the actress playing Annie, the play’s female lead.
“I talked to a couple of older patrons that are leaving, and honestly, let’s
face it; most of the plays nowadays are happy-ending plays. I’m not saying that
this isn’t a happy ending or whatever it is. I’m just saying that it’s one of
those plays that makes you go and talk and discuss it
with the person you’re with.”
But
how does a play or an article incite such challenging conversation? It must be
intelligent, coherent and most of all, it must present real-life to us in all
its splendor and horror and through that, pose a scenario that an audience or a
reader can empathize with.
“This
play is about marital infidelity and it is basically a question of: Could you
live with someone if they were unfaithful?” said Andy Philpot, the actor
playing Henry, the male lead and playwright in “The Real Thing.” “And not only
does he commit it, but he’s faced with it, with his wife. And he agonizes over
it. Can he live with that? Can he win her back? Can he just stand the agony and
the rage that comes with all that?”
Coupled
with Henry’s vexing moral dilemma is Annie’s continuing quest for an
understanding of herself and how to balance her intense lust for life with her
need to do the right thing.
“Annie
is continuously being asked why she is doing one thing and trying to validate
why she chooses this path versus this path and I think she’s always going back
and forth on it. I think she has a sense of what is right, but I don’t think
that it subscribes to any one way of thinking,” Sotelo
said. “I think she, as any human being, is learning as she lives.”
As
Annie struggles to come to terms with her actions and Henry is faced with
questions that her actions have raised for him, the two are forced, along with
the audience, to grapple with love and what the real thing is.
“The
play is called ‘The Real Thing’ and some of the audience is going to think, ‘Oh, that has to do with love. This guy’s looking for the
real thing.’ And other people in the audience are going to go, ‘No, that has to do with the writing. He’s a writer and he’s
always trying to write the true thing.’ And other people might say, ‘No,
actually we talk about music all the time, you know? Pop music versus opera and
it’s like, what is the real thing?’”
The
real thing may never be completely understood, but life as we know it requires
us, compels us and demands of us that we take time with ourselves and others to
seek out truth, pursue honesty and constantly strive for “The Real Thing;” and Stoppard’s play does all of those things.