New comedy at Pear Theater New comedy at Pear Theater (June 25, 2004)

Identity theft brings motley cast of characters together

By David Herbert

If the characters from Bay Area playwright Ian Walker's new comedy "A Beautiful Home for the Incurable" were invited to the premiere, none of them would be able to make it.

The play, which opens June 25 at the Pear Avenue Theatre and runs until July 11, stars a motley group of friends, each suffering from rare psychological disorders.

There's Bunny, the agoraphobe (fear of open or public places); Madeline, a transient global amnesiac (short-term memory loss); Lucy, a narcoleptic (sleep disorder), and Nick, an ideomotor apraxic (involuntary body movements). The show takes place, of course, in Bunny's apartment as the group reacts to the news that he is the victim of identity theft.

"It's a comedy about being on the outside of society," said Walker, who lives in San Francisco.

Walker got the idea for the play while listening to the radio one day.

"I was listening to a report on NPR, and I can't remember what it was about, but I suddenly felt like my point of view on the issue was on the fringes of society and how frustrated and helpless this made me feel," he said, adding that as a Bay Area resident, it is not uncommon to feel outside the national political mainstream.

The play is a comedy, but it also tries to subtly encourage the members of the audience to reexamine themselves.

"It's about questioning our notions of what normal and perfect are," said Diane Tasca, the Pear's artistic director.

Walker hopes audiences will identify with the characters and find they have more in common than they think.

"I wanted to see how their conditions amplified the feelings that we all have," he said.

Walker's ultimate goal is to make audiences more sensitive to the struggle we all face with the idea of normality.

"I hope that when people walk out of the show and hug their partner, and have a little bit more compassion for the people they see that are on the (out)skirts, whether they are homeless or mentally challenged or just in another political party," he said.

The mission of the Pear Avenue Theatre, according to "Incurable" director Jeanie Forte, is to produce local playwrights. The Mountain View theater can also be a type of launching pad for new plays, she added. A theater in New Jersey is already planning a production of "A Beautiful Home for the Incurable" in Spring 2005.

"It's a very funny, very sweet story," Forte said. "We were all touched by it."

E-mail David Herbert at dherbert@mv-voice.com

Information

What: "A Beautiful Home for the Incurable," a new play by Bay Area playwright Ian Walker

Where: The Pear Avenue Theatre, 1220 Pear Avenue, Unit K

When: Show times are June 25, July 1-3, and July 8-10 at 8 p.m., June 27 at 7 p.m. and June 27 and July 11 at 2 p.m.

Cost: Tickets are $15 for Thursday and Sunday performances, $20 for Friday and Saturday performances and $25 for the Opening Gala on June 25. $5 discounts on all ticket prices for students and seniors.

Call: 254-1148 or visit www.thepear.org.

E-mail a friend a link to this story.