The Dreamer Examines His Pillow is the second production from new, vibrant and young Unpathed Theatre Company, illuminating the beauty of John Patrick Shanley's text in the incredibly intimate Tap Gallery.
The cast of three – Ainslie Clouston, Scott Lee and Peter McAllum – delve into the touching and often messy concepts of love and sex, as Donna (Clouston) interrogates ex-boyfriend Tommy (Lee) about his recent sexual escapades. Unsatisfied, Donna turns to her father (McAllum) for advice as the play breaks down into a power play between male and female perceptions of true romance.
Marking her directorial debut, Vashti Pontaks tosses these three fascinating characters onto the appropriately desolate stage, exposing their foibles. While some moments are lost in slightly excessive stage moments, Pontaks allows the trio to relish in the story during Shanley's poetic monologues – Lee fluidly delivers his touching emotional turmoil, Clouston honestly shares how love feels with her father and it's a joy to watch McAllum contrast his raw and boisterously comedic sides.
A play of three scenes, it's the final exchange between Tommy and Donna's father that lets out the bottled electricity accumulating throughout the production, launches actors into full flight and sees Pontaks' direction at its peak. Additionally, Jed Silver's sound design is jarringly welcome during the impressively snappy set changes.
