An earlier version of this post included the wrong phone number. The number has been corrected.
-Ed.

“The Goat, or, Who is Sylvia?” is currently playing at the Bay Theatre in Annapolis now through June 14th.
A few weeks ago I was listening to a program on National Public Radio (NPR) about autism, and the reporter was talking about a study project that utilized subjects reactions to the 1966 film ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” to measure how sensitive they were to gauging social cues from facial expressions. “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? was selected, the reporter explained, because of its insightful and gripping portrayal of dysfunctional relationships. The characters are revealed as growing more and more uncomfortable with one another as they push one another’s “hot buttons” and the tension grows.
In “The Goat,” Edward Albee the same playwright who wrote the play “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf “ (first performed on Broadway in 1962) brings the portrayal of a dysfunctional family to a new level as he challenges the audience to rethink the concept of what is love?
This is a play with adult content and strong language. While director Lucinda Merry-Browne told me this is not a play that is appropriate for teenagers, I didn’t believe her until I saw for myself. The themes explored in this one and a half hour play with no intermission are beyond the comprehension of an adolescent. Yes, they’ve heard all the four letter curse words but do they really understand the meaning of lifelong commitment, infidelity and the difference between being “in love” and having “a crush”?
Part of the experience of seeing this play is to not know in advance what is going to happen, so I’m not going to ruin it for you by revealing the storyline. The setting is a contemporary style home. The characters are a husband; Martin played by Tom Gregory; wife Stevie, played by Janet Luby; teenage son, Billy played by Bret Jaspers; and family friend Ross, played by Lee Ordeman. All the actors are excellent, but the shining star in this production is Janet Luby who inhabits the soul of her character with power, strength, and fortitude. Director Lucinda Merry-Browne has done a fine job of directing and she as the Bay Theatre Artistic Director along with Associate Artistic Director Janet Luby are to be commended for daring to bring this controversial play to Annapolis.
Do you need to see this play? If you love good theater and wish to challenge your assumptions about what is and is not acceptable in our society, you won’t want to miss it!
Evening performances Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays and a Sunday matinee. Visit their website at www.baytheatre.org or call (410) 268-1333 for tickets and performance times.
--Nadja Maril