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Written by Michael Muckian
May 19, 2011
Rich Gillard and Michael Cotey in “An Apology for the Course and Outcome of Certain Events Delivered by Doctor John Faustus on This His Final Evening.” – Photo: Joe Hang
How in Hell would you spend your last hour on Earth if you knew you were going to die?
Chicago playwright Mickle Maher thinks he knows what Dr. John Faustus, the literary figure who sold his soul to the devil, might do, and it isn’t necessarily pretty. Youngblood Theatre’s production of Maher’s “An Apology for the Course and Outcome of Certain Events Delivered by Doctor John Faustus on This His Final Evening,” which opens May 27 in recovered space at the Pritzlaff Building, will explore the paradoxes of human nature while looking at the Faustus legend through more contemporary eyes.
“So what happens when you’ve reached the end of your life having received all the power you’ve ever wanted but have nothing to show for it?” asks Michael Cotey, Youngblood’s artistic director who plays Faustus in this two-character production. “It’s a terrifying question and one that I think deep down troubles all people.”
Maher’s Faustus, who shares the stage with his servant Mephistopheles (Rich Gillard) in a production directed by Edward Morgan, is a man out of his own time, Cotey says. Despite having made the deal of a lifetime, so to speak, he is filled with self-doubts and second-guesses, endlessly examining his situation for other alternatives.
“He is regretful and unapologetic, contemplative and explosive, powerful and frail,” Cotey says of his character. “That’s really human nature and the noise of the human mind at work.”
The production, whose setting is perched at the edge of midnight on the day of Faustus’ death, runs barely an hour. But Maher has created a compelling portrait in miniature of just how hollow even the best-laid plans can become when critically examined, according to director Morgan.
“This is a devilishly ingenious little play,” says Morgan, a former Milwaukee Rep associate artistic director. “A man of letters has sold his soul for 24 years of youthful power and glory with Mephistopheles as his servant. Now he stands, clutching his diary, contemplating the meaning and the meaninglessness of his journey.”
The company was particularly attracted to the Faustus interpretation by Maher, cofounder of Chicago’s Theater Oobleck, because of the playwright’s facility with language and his ability to make his audiences think and reflect. Youngblood last year performed Maher’s “Spirits to Enforce,” an homage to Shakespeare’s “The Tempest,” to critical acclaim as one of the best productions of Milwaukee’s theater season. Cotey is hoping “An Apology” recaptures some of that same energy.
The Youngblood artistic director also feels the raw gutted space of the Pritzlaff Building well complements the narrative. The troupe has become known for performing in found space, setting Maher’s previous play in the gutted remains of Miller and Campbell Costume Services.
In the case of Pritzlaff, an Italianate structure at the edge of the Third Ward built in 1875 as home to John Pritzlaff hardware company, the ravaged space provides a perfect launching pad for Faustus’ forthcoming journey across the River Styx.
“The trick with found space is not making it a gimmick, but an extension of the play,” Cotey says.
Youngblood has also taken the space, which is expansive, and created a more intimate setting designed to seat about 40 people.
“This is Faustus’ final chance to connect, to make his mark on the world,” Cotey says. “And that’s what everyone strives for – to be loved and to make life mean something.”
