CheekyChicago

The clear distinction between dreams and reality becomes blurred in the new play Lucid, a dark and disturbing look at one man’s struggle for control. Peter Moore (Daniel McEvilly) works as a graphic designer, but aspires to be a painter. He loathes his office drone job and views his pregnant girlfriend Becky (Laura Shatkus) as a roadblock to artistic freedom. Wally (Jake Szczepaniak) is his cube mate and occasional confidante, but their bond is only based on a shared sense of corporate misery. Peter’s grim outlook and pessimistic personality are quickly established, but unfortunately they rarely improve throughout the play.

Trapped by circumstances he created but won’t change, Peter stumbles onto the idea of lucid dreaming through Wally. The concept is controlling dreams to experience fantasies, with the unusual ability to feel awake while asleep. Suddenly the girl he met on the train becomes the literal girl of his dreams, and Peter becomes obsessed with his nighttime lover. Robin (Tracey Kaplan) embodies everything Becky lacks – she’s the free spirit that fulfills every sexual fantasy and fawns over his art with religious fervor. It’s a surreal romance and that’s exactly what Peter craves. He lacks the strength to take charge of his real life, so Robin becomes the escape, the enabler, and the enigmatic love of his subconscious. If there’s such thing as an emotional affair, Peter is beyond guilty.

Becky and her unborn child become the unfair casualties of Peter’s lucid dreams. It’s uncomfortable to watch their relationship unravel because the only person who deserves sympathy is Becky. As a selfish, angst-driven character, Peter doesn’t ingratiate himself with the audience. Instead of addressing a distressing reality, he escapes to manufactured dreams, which in turn make real life even less bearable. Anyone can understand the dissatisfaction of a dead-end job or a failed relationship, but no one can empathize with someone too cowardly to change.

Peter is both the center of the play and the problem with it, from unnatural dialogue to an unlikable personality. The damage he causes to himself and others is frustrating to see, although the eventual collision between the dream world and reality creates an engrossing second act.

Playwright Tony Fiorentino took an abstract idea and created a vivid drama, making something as elusive as lucid dreaming seem plausible. The play benefitted from a well-constructed revolving set (by Robert Shoquist) that provided a fitting backdrop for the shifting story, rotating between Peter’s office, home, and bedroom. While the exploration of dreams to both enrich and inhibit waking life is profound, it’s not a pleasant journey to watch.

‘Lucid’ plays now through Feb. 28th at the Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport Ave., Chicago.