Friday, April 13, 2007 By Chuck Klaus
Contributing writer, SYRACUSE POST-STANDARD
"Kiss of the Spider Woman" has suffered no lack of attention. Initially, Manuel Puig's work was a novel about two very different prisoners sharing the same cell - one a political revolutionary, the other a homosexual window dresser found guilty of immoral behavior.
A play adaptation followed, first staged in Spain; then the best-known form of the piece, a 1985 motion picture directed by Hector Babenco, which netted actor William Hurt an Oscar as best actor. In 1993, a musical version followed, directed by Harold Prince and featuring a score by Kander and Ebb.
Of all of the dramatized versions, the play adaptation is the one that most purely focuses most on the changing relationship of the two imprisoned men, and that is what we have in this Simply New Theatre presentation. Unlike the movie and musical versions, visual references to the dream world of the flamboyant Molina are absent. We have only his retelling of the plot of an old "B" movie - Val Lewton's "Cat People" - to divert us, as it diverts his cellmate, Valentin.
In this production, we are with the two men in their cell, and in the evocative set design for this production by Liam Corey, a grim, crushing and oppressive environment it is.
The two actors involved both have heavy responsibilities. They need to encompass dramatic arcs that involve radical changes of character, attitudes and interaction with each other. For this task, Simply New Theatre has done wonderfully well in casting Jordan Glaski as political prisoner Valentin, and Thomas Michael Quinn as window dresser Molina.
Although Quinn has the showier role - and does extremely well by it - the conversion of the political aphorism-spouting Valentin into a more rounded, caring human being is equally rewarding if properly achieved, and Glaski achieves much in the role. Quinn's achievement is also substantial, taking what could be a mere sexual stereotype, investing it with resonant emotion and allowing us to clearly see the thoughts and motivations of Molina.
Director John Nara's grasp of the material is such that despite a substantial running time, the duration of the play never intrudes upon the consciousness of the viewer. He also handles some very raw emotions and situations with dignity and reserve, and characterizations are as deep as one might wish. Nara's arsenal also includes mood and time for reflection, but these are put forth with discipline and restraint as well.
Jared Michael's costume design is just right, and Heather Buck's sound is superb, including evocative guitar music and Roy Webb's score for the Lewton motion picture. Lighting by Charles Shatzkin is mood enhancing and acts as vivid punctuation for the many scenes.