It is always refreshing to find a drama that deals with men and their relationships with one another that is not the usual trivialized stereotype that so much theatre –and mass media in general - has become. Too often men are reduced to nothing more than primitive lunk heads ruled entirely by their genitals and job titles. Not that the stereotype does not exist – that’s why it is there. But anytime a playwright takes more than a nanosecond to explore some of the fundamentals of what makes men tick as well as the bonds that can tie them together, I am willing to buy a ticket. Mark A. Robertson’s THE DEAD SEA, which premiered at the New York Fringe Festival, does not merely delve but instead goes bravely spelunking into just such relationships.

We are introduced to the characters on the eve of Christmas eve when a sleeping Jake (Hayden Roush) is abruptly awakened by a would-be intruder pilfering random gifts and household items. After easily overpowering the burglar, Jake is stunned to realize that he has confronted his own brother Caleb (Mark A. Robertson – a triple threat as writer/actor/producer) who ran away 4 years earlier at age 16 and has been M.I.A. ever since. The young men are quickly joined by third sibling Corey (Nick Amick) and their father Paul (Elias Stimac).

Once the family gets over the initial shock of this impromptu reunion they are then startled by the fact that Caleb has apparently not showered nor changed his clothes since leaving home in sophomore high school. His tweaky state of inebriation speaks for itself. This is family however, and they seem relieved, if not particularly over-joyed, to have him home. After all, much has changed since Caleb’s less-than-grand exit. Jake is single again as is brother Corey, who also has the pleasure of a bitter custody battle. Dad has seemingly come to (shakey) terms with his alcoholism and, oh yeah, Mom died about a year ago. You can practically smell the middle class frustration.

There are a couple more intriguing details regarding Caleb’s absence, I won’t give them away but they will definitely raise eyebrows. More importantly, we are able to see the family dynamics that hold this family together through estrangement, addiction and death. While true “families” very often don’t grow up under the same roof, the ones that do – and live to tell about it - often have the kind of bond that simply can’t be broken. From the shared childhood rituals that have spilled over into adulthood to a simple afternoon of holiday shopping, these guys really love each other and somehow, astonishishingly manage to find a way to like each other.

Mark A. Robertson indicates promise as a playwright but clearly displays himself as a gifted actor. There are many good actors out there that could easily take on this role and give a truly heart felt, profound performance. Few – very few – could display the kaleidoscope of emotion constantly swirling just beneath the surface of Robertson’s Caleb. He manages to portray the next to impossible balance of wounded spirit, dark depression and smothering narcissism that make this character complex and compelling. Yes, he is repulsive in the way that only homeless, compulsive drinking speed freaks can be but there is something genuinely endearing about him. East village bars are full of these guys, there is a cult of the women (and men) who love them, Oprah built her early career talking to flotsam and jetsam they inevitably leave in their wake.

Elias Stimac as patriarch Paul is a man still dealing with his own demons but willing to do anything (including turning a conveniently blind eye) in order to exorcise those of his offspring. Even in his more joyous moments there is a sadness that permeates his presence as only the pain of watching a child self destruct can. Stimac brings a certain elegance to this sadness that adds a subtle poigniance to the story unfolding. Hayden Roush’s Jake maintains a boyish quality that belies an explosive temper. Nick Amick as Corey brings a stalwart reliability that is counter-balanced by the tumultuous emotions surrounding his failed marriage and estranged daughter.

Director Leah Vesonder displays an acute sense of the sublime. She is able to somehow see beauty in the decidedly dowdy world of these four men and even at Caleb’s most pathetic find a sort of dignity that could easily be overlooked by a less astute director.

 © 2007 Mikal Saint George