Writer/composer Michael John LaChiusa’s music and lyrics are products of a modern age: clean, spare, direct. At the same time, his songs are marvels of complexity, in terms of rhyme and musical sophistication. It’s that internal contradiction within LaChiusa’s work that makes his “See What I Wanna See” at Signature Theatre so fascinating.
LaChiusa’s libretto is based on three short stories by Ryunosuke Akutagawa, all of which suggest that reality is less fact than perception. Two short dramatic sequences set in medieval Japan introduce Acts I and II, but their stories are told first from the wife’s point of view, then from the husband’s.
The longest story, “R Shomon,” refers to the movie “Roshomon,” in which one event is seen several ways by different viewers. In this instance, a janitor (Bobby Smith), a thief (Matt Pearson), a husband (Tom Zemon) and his wife (Rachel Zampelli) recall an evening in Central Park. As they remember the night, they slowly reveal hidden aspects of themselves.
The final story, “Gloryday,” finds a priest almost creating a miracle, which has the effect of bringing characters to and from faith.
There is a wide spectrum of material and style in “See What I Wanna See,” from murder and rape to the broad humor of Channez McQuay as The Medium and Aunt Monica. The variety is necessary to establish LaChiusa’s world, a recognizable place but one where anything can happen and where the oddest things occur with great regularity.
The powerful five-actor ensemble is intelligently directed by Matthew Gardiner, who plays up the characters’ singular aspects: the silliness in McQuay’s Medium, the sexiness in Zampelli’s angry trophy wife, the pathos in the life of the Janitor, the sensitivity of the Priest.
Adam Koch’s effective set consists of old-fashioned lamplights on poles and the images of trees projected on a screen, creating an impression of Central Park. The horizontal screen is suspended above the six-member orchestra, which sits just behind the compact, curved stage. That orchestra does more than justice to LaChiusa’s exuberant, jazzy, vibrant, evocative music.
If you go
“See What I Wanna See”
Where: Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington
When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday; 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; 7 p.m. Sunday through
May 31
Info: $61 to $69; 703-573-7328; www.signature-theatre.org
