Aaron Shand - Ann Hearn

Christopher Wall's eerie play, Dreams of the Washer King, is making its premier West Coast appearance at Theatre 40 in Beverly Hills. It is about two families who are haunted by the ghosts of their past.

The play is set in a small town in Maine, the set on the stage, a bit confusing. I must say that the set design by Jeff Rack is well-done; the problem is the play itself lends to the confusion. Off to one side is a field scattered with old dilapidated washing machines that are supposed to represent the lost dreams of a man who, through the washers, had hoped to escape the town. On the other side, is the home that, usually represents the home of Claire and Ryan, while at other times, it becomes the home of the other characters in the play, Wade and Elsie.

Ryan (Aaron Shand) is a fifteen-year-old who tries to record the sounds of his father's ghost. His mother Claire (Ann Hearn), a lonely widow who works as a bank teller, seems to feel her husband's presence as well. He had moved the family to this small town in Maine in order to live a more simple life, but was killed by a large tree while trying to cut it down.

When mysterious Wade (Kirk Etchison) and his daughter Elsie (Jennifer Levinson) move to town, it appears that the two adults and the two teenagers will find solace with one another in their loneliness. The adults, by not being able to cope with their losses, have effected the lives of their children. And naturally, it effects their relationship as well. All of the characters are plagued by their neuroses, Claire listening for the sounds of her husband, Wade often confusing his daughter for his wife, Ryan hanging out in the field with old washers and trying to record the sounds of a ghost, and Elsie believing that she is the savior of other girls by being their pen pal. Wall moves the play between past and present and it becomes difficult to follow. Having the set relate to the home of each couple, also adds to the complexity of the play. We can only expect a tragic ending to this morose story.

Andre Barron does an impressive task of directing an excellent cast with an intricate and difficult drama. Dreams of the Washer King plays Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8 PM, Sundays at 2 PM, through February 26. Online ticketing is available at www.theatre40.org or by phone at (310) 364-0535.

Comments? Write to us at: Letters@ReviewPlays.Com