If you can only see one show this semester, make it Quadramics' production of Pink Floyd's The Wall, which opened last night to a packed house in the Harold Prince Theater at the Annenberg Center. Directed with flair by College senior Marc Zachary, The Wall is a dazzling, albeit flawed, collage of technical wizardry and artistic brilliance. The story centers on Pink, a disillusioned rock singer haunted by memories of the past, and unable to control the present. College senior Brett Keyser gave a visceral portrayal of the play's protagonist, conveying the pain and confusion of a man driven into sensual isolation by his own psyche. As the omniscient narrator who follows Pink's progress from disillusion to destruction to ultimate redemption, College sophomore Jaci Israel was no less impressive. But College senior Julie Hoffman as the fiercely protective mother, and Engineering sophomore Rafe Pery as a stylishly brutal hoodlum were especially worthy of note. To its credit, the six-man rock band performed a faithful recreation of Roger Water's score that at times was so professional as to be virtually indistinguishable from the original Pink Floyd album. However, it was unfortunate that their playing frequently drowned out the voices of the performers, and more often than not it was extremely difficult to comprehend exactly what was happening on stage. College senior Laura Diamond's choreography lacked much-needed polish, and served more as a distraction than a complement to the music. The crumbling edifices of Engineering sophomore Bardo Ramirez' and College junior Samara Epstein's extravagant set were perfectly set off by Wharton doctoral candidate Dipu Gupta's spectacular lighting. All in all, Zachary has directed a production that in terms of imagination, excitement and sheer guts makes it one of the best shows this year. Although the execution of The Wall cannot match the grandeur of its conception, the exceptional efforts of its cast and crew deserve more credit than this humble reviewer can possibly bestow. The Wall will continue tonight and tomorrow, and also from April 11 to 13 in the Harold Prince Theater at the Annenberg Center.
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