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Aquarium

nytheatre.com review by Steve Chasey
August 15, 2005

Aquarium’s main character has committed a sin so large, both metaphorically and physically, that he is, from the outset, a lost soul. The play ensures the audience remembers this by enumerating the harsh ramifications of his act, not only for him, but for everyone around him. And yet, despite his doom and disgrace, everyone loves him. Not just his depressed wife, his estranged friends, or the model he meets in the airport, but I mean everyone, right down to the audience, is still enamored with this fallen man. Tim Redmond’s disarmingly honest performance certainly has something to do with it, but more than that, Robin Maguire’s play throws aside the commonplace ideals of morality, asking, if these were not here, what then? The conflict of the answer, both within the play itself and with the audience, is tribute to Maguire’s sensitive and perceptive writing.The play circles around the life of architect Dennis Birdwell, a hotshot whose career takes an unexpected nose dive. Dennis’s life spins madly out of his control, spiraling downwards and bringing in a host of other characters who are affected by his tribulations. The diverse display of roles, from religious fanatic to assassin, from depressed housewife to world-trotting model, all find their place in Aquarium’s post-morality, anarchistic worldview. Each gets his or her turn to lay the cause for their being the way they are out in the open, in an attitude that does not seem to seek the audience’s judgment, but operates as if their presence, one way or the other, is only tangentially important. Their stories are not only enthralling but compelling, every one fallen like Birdwell, but every one enchanting in the same way.The performances from every member of the cast are essential; the audience’s reaction to their tales is paramount to the play’s dramatic success. If we do not find anything to respect in the characters, then the point is lost. Fortunately, the cast is nothing less than stunning, both sincere and confrontational. Each person exposes a driving passion within themselves, a passion that is admirable in its tenacity and reason but often chilling in its ramifications. Special accolades should be given to Daniel Lennox, who plays Peter Legg, the assassin. His calm demeanor and subtle monotone are so convincing of the frantic, murderous intent beneath them, that when he pauses and stares into the audience, we cringe despite ourselves.Aquarium is so full of talent and intellectual intensity it would be easy to list off many more examples of its virtues. Suffice to say, this is one of the best, most inspiringly challenging shows in the FringeNYC this year and well worth a viewing.