Think of “Hell Meets Henry Halfway” as an onion.
It’s simple on the surface, but the more you peel, the more you realize the layer upon layer combine to create something special and complex.
In the case of “Hell Meets Henry” there’s the straight story — based on the Gothic novel “Possessed: The Secret of Myslotch” by Polish writer Witold Gombrowicz. Anyone who has spent time with old-country Poles as I have won’t be surprised by the dark nature of the tale about a miserable old prince who keeps those around him on eggshells as he counts down his days. And there’s the miserably engaged couple — Henry (Dito Van Reigersberg) and Maya (Sarah Sanford) — who are opposites in every way and banter like something out of a Spencer Tracy/Katherine Hepburn film. There’s little doubt both are quick-witted — and filled with something like rage combined with, well yes, misery.
And if that’s not enough misery, let’s not forget the obtuse and childlike ball boy (James Sugg), odd and likely incompetent doctor (Steve Cuiffo, whose head cold is the granddaddy of them all) and others that inhabit this — well, yes, miserable Polish province.
Suffice to say it appears Hell met Henry the minute he accepted his lot as the secretary/assistant/caretaker of the prince.
But look beneath the surface and you’ll see plenty more to the story than controlled Henry trying to stave off Hell even as it shoots at him from all quarters.
What does his jumping rope in a controlled, predictable way (12 times) and then stopping to feel his heart mean? How does the killing of an innocent (we’ll stop there so as not to be spoilers) translate into everyday life? Why does the prince’s howling never end? Just how long did Henry plan to serve his time in hell before he received the payoff — which actually became a greater hell? These questions and more are what make the seemingly simple, yet dark, story rich and filling.
The ultra-sparse set (basically a jump rope, desk, chair, liquor bottle and an amazing box that serves for bedrooms, doorways and even a dining room table at various times) works so well because its simplicity contrasts the complex lives of the characters.
The production, by the Philadelphia-based Pig Iron Theatre Company, was brought to the area by Woolly Mammoth.
If you go
‘Hell Meets Henry Halfway’
Where: Woolly Mammoth Theatre, 641 D St. NW
When: Through March 1
Details: $26 and up; 202-393-3939; woollymammoth.net
