IN THE NEXT ROOM (or the Vibrator Play) Set for June 25-27th

Pit & Balcony closes out their 94^th Season of novel and innovative theatrical productions with a cleverly crafted concoction by playwright Sarah Ruhl ripe with mischief and nuanced complexities titled In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play), which is set for a series of performances running June 25-27^th.

Nominated for three Tony Awards, this historical merging of comedy & drama concerns a momentous moment at the dawn of the ‘Machine Age’ back in the late 1800’s when the first electrical vibrator surfaced, which doctors allegedly used as a clinical device to treat women for ‘hysteria’. Set within the rigid moral context of the Victorian era, the play also explores sexual repression, marriage, love, the constraints of patriarchy, and most importantly – the importance of human connection at the core of both self-expression and happiness.

A blend of comedy, drama, and social commentary, the narrative concerns a new patient and her husband who bring their complicated relationship into the home of Dr. and Mrs. Givings, causing them to examine the nature of their own marriage and what it truly means to love someone. While Dr. Givings uses an electrical vibrator to treat "hysteria" in his patients, his wife Catherine feels increasingly disconnected from him and their new baby, forcing the Givings to confront their own marriage and the nature of love and intimacy.

Rendering an exploration into the sacred architecture of intimate human connection between a husband and wife with the added mischief of an inanimate device designed to bridge the gaps between their happiness and fulfillment is no easy task for Quinn Nichols, who is directing her first full play with this production, having involved herself with stage readings at Midland’s Art Speaks Out and also serving as an assistant director two years ago for Pit’s After Dark  production of Milk Milk Lemonade.

When asked about the key themes embedded within this play that engaged her attention, Quinn points to several elements.  “I love Sarah Ruhl’s work and fell in love with her play Eurydice,” she explains. “One of the interesting elements is how the vibrators in this play are used exclusively as medical devices to treat hysteria, yet the one character who points out how these devices might also be used for non-medical uses of personal fulfillment is shut down immediately. The narrative takes the repressive barriers of that Victorian era and explores how these devices can also lead to less connection and put more distance between people, which is very compelling.”

“Another element I love is the theme of Womanhood and Motherhood,” she continues. “The reason Catherine needs a wet nurse is because she can’t provide enough milk for her newborn baby, so she experiences feelings of inadequacy and failure of not being good enough as a woman and a mother in a society that judges your worth by whether or not you can provide for your baby.  She wants a close human connection with her husband, who is a very polite gentleman and a doctor who treats others with electrical aides, yet is unable to give his very own wife what she truly needs.”

When one considers how in Biblical times women were viewed in a proprietary manner, given away in marriage by their fathers in order to secure and advance their lineage, as societies evolved and marriages were viewed as equal partnerships focusing on the happiness of each member involved in the relationship, the focus shifted to personal gratification, with all variety of implements and devices designed to augment that pleasure while simultaneously making people less connected and more self-absorbed and alienated from one another, which is another important irony deftly dissected in a humorous manner with this production.

Within this context Quinn confirms that the core elements of this cutting-edge production lean more into how through exploring novel ways of forming connections between people, anything ‘new’ also ends to get in the way.

“In this case its electricity and devices that in many ways serve as a good warning call,” she reflects. “In that context it serves as a drama, but it also has very funny moments of exploring the world these characters are living in. We know, for example, these vibrators are not really a medical device anymore, but in their world at that time that’s the way they are viewed. Electricity is new for them and the doctor is a fanatic about electricity, which makes it all very real and very funny. People were excited about the potential and the possibilities”

Featuring a cast of six actors and seating in the round, with only 100 tickets available for each performance, Quinn feels what makes this such an appealing and engaging theatrical journey is the way it serves as a commentary on connection between people and how devices impact that connection.

“I think it’s very relevant because it’s not anti-technology or anti-device, but it shows how these things also get in the way of very real connections. Even though its set during a period over 100 years back in time, it was a very fascinating period of history – the play doesn’t beat you over the head with these points, which I also love about it.”

“It shows you how even when you’re surrounded in a house full of people, things we use to bridge distances and bring us closer together can also set us further apart.  And it does all of this without getting preachy, in a very humorous and clever manner.”

Pit & Balcony’s After Dark production of ‘In the Next Room, or The Vibrator Play’ will run Thursday, Friday & Saturday June 25-26-27 at 8:30 PM. Tickets are only $15.00 and available by phoning the box office at 989.754.6587 or by clicking this link.

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