Loyola Greyhound

Issue date: 11/18/08 Section: Arts & Society

Media Credit: Daniel Corrigan/ Greyhound A Delicate Balance, directed by Paul Zajac, opens November 20 at 8:00 PM.

What does it mean to be a friend? Or rather, how far would you go to prove that you were a "true friend" to someone? Would you willingly surrender your life and happiness for the sake of another, all in the name of "unconditional love?" And what happens if that love is never reciprocated?

These are just some of the earnest yet probing questions that the Poison Cup Players ask in their newest production, Edward Albee's A Delicate Balance, opening at McManus Theatre on November 20. Directed by senior Paul Zajac, A Delicate Balance tells the story of older couple Tobias and Agnes, played by senior Adriana Spizuoco and junior Colin Reilly, and what happens when they are suddenly confronted with an overabundance of unwanted houseguests: Agnes' alcoholic sister, Claire; their "best friends," Harry and Edna; and their four-time divorcee daughter, Julia.

At first glance, Agnes and Tobias' situation seems like something out of a psychiatrist's case study-Spizuoco's Agnes, forever assuming the job of the family's support system, or as she puts it, "the fulcrum," shoulders the weight of (and eventual disappointment in) both her husband's and family's actions. But as the weekend goes on and the situation gets more and more out of control, her overly responsible demeanor chips away to reveal the emotionally damaged woman inside. Tobias (Reilly), her dutiful husband, is physically and emotionally stuck in his life-he is visibly unhappy with the way things are between him and Agnes, but for whatever reason, is never fully able to bring himself to find a solution to their problems; he is never truly sure of what he wants out of his life, but he knows that something important is missing and that he won't be complete until he finds it.

This longing for change, love or just something to fill the void, is constantly urged on by Claire, Agnes' sister, played by junior Jenna Burnbaum. Burnbaum shines as Claire, playing a cross between devil's advocate, resident scapegoat and walking cautionary tale, openly criticizing everyone and mercilessly picking at their flaws. But when the tables are turned, she is her own worst critic-openly admitting her faults, but never letting them define her. Even the title of "alcoholic" is too much of a stretch, with Claire claiming that she drinks because she "likes it" and not just because it's "expected" of her.

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