Word: isenberg
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Vastly unlike most Ibsen in both plot and style, Love's Comedy traces the romance between the young poet Falk (Adam Swift) and the rebellious and idealistic Svanhild (Caroline Isenberg). Around them, innumerable friends and relatives are becoming engaged--and, soon thereafter, seeing all the light and joy drain from their relationships. Falk spends most of his time vehemently denouncing these engagements and marriage in general, but soon finds himself falling prey to his own emotions Svanhild, for her part, in choosing between Falk and another suitor, must weigh the conflicting claims of freedom, a "perfect" and fleeting romance...
...momentum the play has comes largely from Adam Swift's vivid and energetic portrayal of Falk. Swift's stage presence and timing, even on the lamest dialogue, are remarkable; they lend enough conviction and pathos to his love affair to set the show eventually lumbering on its way. Caroline Isenberg as Svanhild, though more subdued and occasionally sappy in her delivery, ably matches him; the endless philosophical platitudes the two exchange, though hopelessly unworkable as drama, occasionally take on the magic of the characters' passion...
Wanda (Caroline Isenberg) remembers exactly what she was doing when Kennedy was shot. It is a moment frozen in time, a point from which her life's trajectory begins. Isenberg has a whiny, mournful voice, which tends to grate and becomes monotonous, but the tone does add to her air of wistful reminiscence. She believes in the story as in a myth, sees Kennedy as a Christ figure and a Camelot legend...
Ronis and Langsam seem to spread their wings and take flight, each going to new heights of expression, and taking the audience with them But others are less able to sustain the illusion Isenberg's tone of voice becomes distracting after a time; we wish she could be turned off like the TV newsreels her character must have constantly watched...
More annoyingly, the staging is often unimaginative and stilted. Besides Ronis, who has the option of recreating scenes from his underground theater productions, the performers follow a predictable pattern. They each walk to the center stage spot, glue themselves there, then return to their seats. Isenberg stands from her clan twice when speaking, but doesn't move...