Playwright: Lucas Hnath. At: Lookingglass Theatre, the Water Tower Water Works (Death Tax); Writers’ Theatre, Books on Vernon, Glencoe (Isaac’s Eye). Tickets, Death Tax: 312-337-0665; www.lookingglasstheatre.org; $40-$65. Tickets, Isaac’s Eye: 847-242-6000; www.writerstheatre.org; $35-$75. Runs through: Oct. 12 (Death Tax), Dec. 7 (Isaac’s Eye)
Since 2011, Lucas Hnath (pronounced “Nayth”) has emerged as a rising star of playwriting. These plays—marking his Chicago debut—present convincing evidence why. Written just a year apart, Isaac’s Eye and Death Tax share similarities in structure, technique and theme. Each has a character that narrates to the audience and numbers the scenes. Each play is about something quite different than first appears, thus presenting viewers with complexities both of intellect and plot. In short, Hnath engages his audience in serious ideas while never forgetting showmanship and theatricality. When a large needle is inserted into Isaac Newton’s eye, the audience response is far more visceral than merely “How did they do that?”
Set in 1668, Isaac’s Eye portrays a fictional meeting between young Isaac Newton (Jurgen Hooper) and Establishment “natural philosopher” (scientist) Robert Hooke (Marc Grapey), shown as middle-aged (although only seven years older than Newton). The play is entirely modern in tone, vocabulary, costume and attitude and has virtually nothing to do with science or history and everything to do with ethics and ambition. Newton and Hooke are unethical, manipulative and nearly devoid of compassion, with Newton boasting the warmth and social skills of TV’s Dr. Sheldon Cooper (of The Big Bang Theory).
By default, Hooke emerges as the play’s hero. Key to Isaac’s Eye are comments made by a dying man (LaShawn Banks) and Catherine (Elizabeth Ledo), Newton’s would-be wife. The dying man asks that someone—anyone—say he/she is happy the dying man lived. Catherine desires a child, saying “I want something I made to live on.” Newton and Hooke also seek to live on, but appear willing to sacrifice their humanity to achieve scientific immortality.
Death Tax concerns dying old Maxine (Deanna Dunagan), who spends her considerable wealth to stay alive by artificial means. In 2010 she denies her needy daughter (Louise Lamson) financial help, and engages her nurse (J. Nicole Brooks) in an unethical scheme. In 2030 ancient Maxine still is alive but no longer can afford her life-sustaining care. She appeals for help to her successful grandson (Raymond Fox). Like Newton and Hooke, Maxine is manipulative, devoid of compassion and intellectually dishonest. She fears death and being alone, but she’s made a Faustian bargain.
Both productions boast wonderful performances by top veteran Chicago performers. The acting alone makes them exciting. Death Tax, however, is physically stark and spare, and far more solemn than Isaac’s Eye, a semi-comedy with more showmanship (that needle in the eye, for instance). Lookingglass director Heidi Stillman sets Death Tax within a square of combat—think boxing ring—using simple staging and little décor, but lowering the light grid down upon the actors with each scene. The floor’s white square, and steeply-raked seats, separate audience from characters. At Writers’ Theatre, director Michael Halberstam uses a tiny arena to draw the audience into the action, a task made easier by the character dynamics. Frankly, Death Tax seems somewhat schematic and tract-like (the nurse’s important subplot disappears without conclusion), while the slightly-later Isaac’s Eye is more fully realized. Although distinctly different, both plays emerge from the same phase of Hnath’s still-brief career.