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Theatre Review: Someone Who'll Watch Over Me

This stripped down actor's piece is sparce on action and scenery, but rich with examples of the human spirit and its resiliency.

Last Updated: Thursday, August 19, 2010 1:05 PM
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(sound of chains)

Three dirty guys are chained to a basement wall -- an American doctor, an Irish journalist and a British professor. One by one, they were kidnapped by a splinter group in Beirut. They don’t know why they were taken hostage, or whether they’ll be killed. So to fill the endless hours of confinement, they talk. Sometimes they rattle their manacles like naughty children, pretending to make an imaginary movie.

(Sound of a “movie” about “A Nun in Beirut”)

There is a surprising amount of humor in this show… People can be amazingly resilient, even when locked up. But more often, the themes are anxiety and loneliness. After months surrounded by the same-four- walls, these guys realize they’re losing it.

“I miss my home…. Ed, Don’t break me. Don’t let me go mad. Say you want to go home as well.”

The three hostages work through a few international rivalries, and their own past deeds and regrets, all the while struggling to help each other through their impossible situation. Actors Scott Coopwood, Matt K. Miller and Michael Wiles bring depth to their characters fears and friendships, and director Stephanie Gularte makes you feel like you’re down in the basement with them. It’s a talky play about prolonged imprisonment, not everybody’s cup of tea, but I encourage you to take a chance on this one. Because ultimately, it highlights the sheer durability of the human spirit, even in the worst of circumstances.

(music)

“Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me” continues at Capital Stage on the Delta King Riverboat in Old Sacramento through April 25th