By DANIEL SHOCK
A Seat on the Aisle
I have never taken a philosophy class. I am not an expert on Nietzsche. It must be said, I won’t become one before I have to finish this review.
What I know about Nietzsche has been absorbed from popular culture. My first memory of anything Nietzschean came while reading the back of the 2001: A Space Odyssey soundtrack album, where I saw a piece called “Also Sprach Zarathustra” by Richard Strauss. That title was a mystery to me for years until I read about the making of that movie and Nietzsche’s name was attached to it. Strauss was inspired by and titled it after one of Nietzsche’s books by the same name. Later, I heard the name associated with the “death” of God and Nazism. Later still, I came to hear how he was misunderstood.
Lukas Schooler as Friedrich Nietzsche. (Photo by Rob Slaven / IndyGhostLight.com)
None of this really inspired me to look deeper into the man and his ideas. I am therefore grateful that the same can’t be said of writer Marcia Eppich-Harris. She has turned her own spiritual crisis into a thoughtful and examination of this philosopher, his ideas and his life into a wonderful play that held my attention, surprised me, and made me curious to know more about the man.
Seeking Nietzsche is not told in a linear fashion. The story jumps back and forth in time; this is not a problem for our comprehension. As the playwright mentions in her program notes, the “chaotic chronology makes sense in Nietzschean terms.” She refers to Nietzsche’s idea of “eternal recurrence,” freeing her from the conventional limitations of drama. The play manages to successfully give us a look at Friedrich Nietzsche’s life, death, and relationships. Ms. Eppich-Harris also notes that some liberties with historical facts were taken to create a cohesive theatrical experience. The hope of the author is to give us a look at Nietzsche the human being.
The set, designed by Aric Harris, is well done and sets the scene of a prolific, artistic, and chaotic mind. The centerpiece table piled with papers and books. The backdrop of drawings and writings hung on wire like laundry drying in the breeze. The direction and blocking by director Evren Wilder Elliott effectively uses the space to convey different locations and settings with just the performances of the actors. It looks deceptively simple. Lighting design by Evalyn Peacey complements this, guiding us both geographically and psychologically. The technical aspects of the show really served the story well.
The small cast consists of four actors, Lukas Schooler, Amalia Howard, Trick Blanchfield, and James Mannan. As Friedrich Nietzsche, Schooler is excellent as he portrays an intelligent and passionate thinker and artist. Howard makes a wonderful villain as Elisabeth Forestre-Nietzsche, Friedrich’s sister. Friedrich’s friend, Lou Salomé, is brought to life with charm and humor by Blanchfield. And finally, Mannan is given three characters to play. He plays composer Richard Wagner, who was friend to Friedrich Nietzsche for a time, he plays Friedrich’s doctor, and finally he plays Adolf Hitler. All the actors are well-cast and bring the mind of Friedrich Nietzsche to life.
Trick Blanchfield as Lou Salomé (left) with Amalia Howard as Elisabeth Forestre-Nietzsche. (Photo by Rob Slaven / IndyGhostLight.com)
I love plays and movies that have ideas or something to say. This is such a play. I was never bored in all its 90 minutes. I will say that sometimes I found my mind wandering briefly as I considered ideas that were coming at me. But that is not a criticism, it is a joy to be engaged intellectually in a performance. If you have a curious mind and like to consider what it means to be human in this world, you will find much to appreciate. As for myself, I know I will spend the next few weeks reading about Nietzsche, his life, and his ideas.
Please be advised that this play contains depiction of mental health problems, antisemitism, and anti-Christianity.
Seeking Nietzsche, produced by the Southbank Theatre Company, is currently running at The Shelton Auditorium, located at 1000 W. 42nd St., Indianapolis. Click here for tickets. The upcoming performances are scheduled as follows:
- Thursday, Sept. 21 at 7:30 p.m.
- Friday, Sept. 22 at 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday, Sept. 23 at 7:30 p.m.
- Sunday, Sept 24 at 2 p.m.
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