Fridae

Like Thornton Wilder's Our Town, Steven Dietz's Lonely Planet examines human suffering and fear but with a lingering sign of hope.

This story, about two gay men seem simple enough. It takes place in a store called Jody's Maps. The proprietor Jody (Michael Corbidge), who for much of the evening is our narrator, tells us of an enigmatic customer who entered his shop one day. This man, Carl (Dan Jenkins) is cagey about his background, address and occupation and appears to be a compulsive liar mischievously blowing clouds of obfuscation. Nonetheless Jody begins to look forward to Carl's daily visits and they become friends.

Their friendship is the one certain thing that they can depend on during a time of prejudice and isolation. They fight against societal misconceptions that only gay men are victims to disease.

Jody and Carl's friends are dying, and if that is not a big enough test of strength, now Carl seems to test their friendship further by bringing several chairs into Jody's store on a daily basis. They are a variety of chairs and Carl does not have Jody's approval. It aggravates Jody and yet, he does not get rid of the chairs. That would require Jody to leave the store. And as we discover that is the one thing he cannot bring himself to do, for Jody has become agoraphobic.

As for the meaning of the chairs....

Lonely Planet is a play of literate language, eloquent metaphors, great humanity, true friendship and reminds us that the horror of AIDS effects not only those who have the disease, but those who fear it.

To close its 2002 season, luna-id's theme of survival is proud to return to Steven Dietz's writing. LIFE! THEATRE AWARDS winners, Best Director-Christian W. Huber and Best Production Design- Sebastian Zeng will whisk you away on a journey that teaches us that friendship, not technology, is the only thing capable of showing us the enormity of the world.

This article is contributed by luna-id.

Lonely Planet features Michael Corbidge and Dan Jenkins; and is directed by LIFE! Theatre Awards 2000 Winner for Best Director, Christian W. Huber.
Time/Dates: 8pm, 6-10 Nov; 3pm, 10 Nov 2002
Venue: Guinness Theatre, The Substation.
Tickets: S$21 and $19 (Concession)
All Ticket Prices include the $1 TicketCharge Fee. Tickets available at all TicketCharge outlets or call TicketCharge at 6296-2929 or online at www.ticketcharge.com.sg