Freud's Last Session @ Mercury Theatre

This was my first visit to the The Mercury Theatre & I loved it. There was clearly careful thought in place when this theatre was renovated because it seamlessly marries modern minimalism with classic, old-school theatre charm. The theatre was also pretty full for a 5 p.m. performance on the Sunday before Labor Day. The theatre space complimented the stationary set very well: the play was set in Freud’s office with was filled with weathered books & the relics of a well-traveled man (specifically statues along the likes of Athena, Bhudda, & Zeus littered about). Background on Freud’s Last Session:  The day is September 3, 1939. It is the day England entered World War II & 2 weeks before Freud took his own life. In this imaginary meeting, Freud contacted C.S. Lewis to discuss his most recent book. The conversation twists & turns around the purpose of this world, sex, moral law, & existence of God. To quote Freud, they were “trying to solve the great mystery of mankind in one morning.”

Throughout their conversation, these two characters communicated with a respectful repartee & grew to see each other’s human sides despite views on reality & beyond. The actors performed with a similar sense of confidence & comfort both independently & in relating to each other. They clashed (comically, at times) on beliefs as well as in the communication of the realities of their life situations: 83 year-old in hiding v. a golden Englishman.  As Freud, Mike Nussbaum’s performance consisted of moments of distinct hits & misses (the hits far outweighed the misses): he had very funny accidental one-liners, communicated the necessary sarcasm & pessimism. He was a believable grump but lacked in moments of acute rage & in expressing the pain from his cancer. I didn’t believe his “hell had arrived already.” As C.S. Lewis, Coburn Goss was more consistent but had rarer shining moments. He nailed the jovial/edge of jolly vibe & spoke with smart conviction. His role wasn’t as funny as Freud, but his clichéd joke The main problem with Christianity is the Christians got a good laugh from the audience. I was glad my favorite Lewis quote was incorporated into the script: “If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.”

While this was a 2-person production, the role of The Radio became increasingly more relevant & reflective. The Radio relayed the facts from the outside to these two men as the talked about theories, God, & the great ambiguities of the universe. It also provided insight to the understanding of our 2 leading men: Lewis liked The Radio’s music, even as at a low volume in the background, while Freud only turned it on to see if the news is on. These idiosyncrasies revealed their purpose in the play’s last moment, as Freud sits alone after Lewis leaves and lets himself listen & give the music a chance. 

[P.S. I have said it before & I will say it again: the words of Lewis belong on the stage. I’ve seen it done twice: The Screwtape Letters (Lantern Theatre, PHL) & a musical version of The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe (Arden Theatre Company, PHL). Neither production was all that impressive, but I very much appreciated the efforts. Here’s what I would love to see: The Weight of Glory translated into a Metamorphoses meets Myths & Hymns.]