(Photo by Austin D. Oie)
British playwright Caryl Churchill's 1994 play, "The Skriker", is often referred to by its critics as "a nightmare." Not "a nightmare" in the derogatory connotation, mind you, but nightmarish in the frightfully familiar sleep-time sensations it conjures. A marvelous concoction of magical realism and supernatural horror, "The Skriker", on the page, is a theatrical experience without peer. Having the surreal creativity of the Muppets while overflowing with the sort of brazenness and intellectual fervor characteristic of the acclaimed and always innovative Churchill.
But still, she is a divisive playwright, to say the least. And I’ll admit that much of her work – like “Top Girls” and "Cloud 9” – gets bogged down in pretension and superciliousness, leaving audiences scratching their heads and me sprinting for supplementary scholarly articles on JSTOR. But not “The Skriker”. Though often verbosely lyrical and containing some mighty stimulating gender, relationship, and socio-economic commentary, this play is completely accessible and approachable. And in "Hit The Wall" director Eric Hoff's promenade staging at Red Tape Theatre, with essential scenes occurring six inches from your nose, quite literally so.
