The show: “The Goat, or Who is Sylvia?,” at Theatre Downtown June 13-28. Edward Albee’s controversial and award-winning 2002 play about a successful (and married) architect who falls in love with a goat, understandably ripping apart his family at the seams.
The cast: Holly Dikeman as Stevie, Nick Crawford as Martin, Jonathan Sweatt as Ross, Romeo Garrison as Billy.
The crew: Direction and set design by Kelsey Crawford, lighting design by Crawford, Sara James and Josh Roberts.
The highlights: Wonderful performances from all, especially Crawford, who never leaves the stage as Martin. He manages to make Martin believable, funny and sympathetic, not an easy task considering the subject matter. The scenes with Crawford and Dikeman are terrific, and Garrison and Sweatt are strong in smaller but crucial roles. Kelsey Crawford, a fine comedic actress who is directing here, has her cast hit the mark with all of Albee’s humor – again, crucial, considering the play’s subject matter that at its core is pretty dark.
Keep in mind: Known for pushing boundaries in his acclaimed work, Albee pushes them to the limits in “The Goat, or Who is Sylvia?” The subject matter won’t be for everyone, but it’s a provocative look at love, morality and family.
Bottom line: An unlikely plot leads to lots of laughs and some thought-provoking themes.
If you go: 95 minutes with no intermission.
