THEATRE SCOPE

The one cry we hear more often than any other is: "Where are the new playwrights? Just name one good play, well acted and well directed, and we'll stop complaining about the state of the American Theatre." Well, there may not be six great plays on the boards right now, but we can think of four we can unreservedly recommend, and we consider that a lot for any midseason point: COLLECTED STORIES, WIT, THIS IS OUR YOUTH, and SNAKEBIT.

And now or at least for the remainder of this week, a fifth title can be added to this select list: DETAIL OF A LARGER WORK by Lisa Dillman. The Hypothetical Theatre Company, who has taken up residence in the new 14th Street Y on the East side in a somewhat makeshift space (which makes the impact of the play all the more remarkable) is presenting the world premiere of a disturbing and haunting original drama by Dillman.

An ambitious young photographer named Zach and his girlfriend Chloe arrive in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, at the home of Ed and Vanessa Grand. Ed, a painter, is dying of emphysema; he perhaps has one good painting left in him. Vanessa, knowing she will lose him soon, cannot bring herself to let Ed out of the house to paint the trees in the town square he dearly loves. Back home, Zach photographed a mutual friend in the last stages of AIDS and now finds the deteriorating relationship of Ed and Vanessa an ideal basis for a new photo essay, much to the horror of Chloe, who understands all too well what it means to exploit someone for one's own goals. (A them similar to that of COLLECTED STORIES.)

Out of this provocative situation, Dillman has written an escalating nugget of TNT, which ultimately explodes in many unexpected directions. Staged with acute eye for detail by Nelson Avidon, who also plays a small double role in the play, the outstanding casts lifts the play to a performance level that is simply astounding for a new young company. Richie Allen's Ed is one of the richest, most believable characterizations we have seen all season. As the alternately tough and frightened Vanessa, Christine Jones is also riveting, while Robert Hamilton and Heather O'Donnell as the young couple are right on the money from first to last. This production cries out to be transferred to a commercial run.