In Sam Shepard's Fool for Love two estranged on-again, off-again lovers confront one another in the claustrophobic confines of a seedy motel room somewhere in the West. Wielding accusatory curses and mournful pleading, the two lovers engage in a brutal emotional showdown that threatens to leave their strained relationship in tatters. The lean, muscular production by Gremlin Theatre, running through December 21st, pulls no punches in presenting the play's stark depiction of the codependency, jealousy, and guilt at the diseased heart of dysfunctional love.

The emotional impact of Fool for Love is largely dependent upon the ability of its cast to connect with their verbal sparring. Stacia Rice as May and Peter Christian Hansen as Eddie are exceptional as the volatile couple, causing the audience to feel each verbal assault while anxiously awaiting the next. Each performer simmers with an emotional instability that threatens to lash out at the slight provocation. Visceral pain literally projects from the stage.

Supporting the leads, Ed Jones plays the enigmatic Old Man witnessing the fight while suggesting a hidden history of poisonous bonds. And Seth Patterson, playing May's hapless date Martin, brings a needed dose of comic relief by portraying an outsider forced to cope with a situation beyond his control.

Fool for Love is the first production presented by Gremlin in its new space on University Avenue and the intimacy of the theater proves a tremendous asset in conveying the confined nature of May and Eddies' relationship. These characters are chained to one another, unable to live together, but unwilling to walk away, forever repeating the same tempestuous cycle of emotional abuse. Imprisoned together, a cheap motel room becomes a kind of relationship limbo just a step removed from total damnation.

Lighting design, as overseen by Carl Schoenborn, achieves maximum effect both in the sickly glare of the motel room's scuzzy interior and in the dimmer shading the mirrors the Old Man's reflections. During one tense moment of potential confrontation with a vengeful scorned affair, May stands in the doorway, her defiant figure lit by headlights from the unseen intruder's car. Stacia Rice's enraged countenance is illuminated, stark and unmistakable. It's a gripping moment showcased magnificently.

Sound also provides a key component to the production. Designed by Montana Johnson, the sound effects are minimal but essential. Throughout the searing battle of wills the audience hears the sound of vehicles passing on a nearby highway. It's a reminder of a larger world beyond these yellowing walls, a place of potential escape that we can feel the characters painfully crave.

Gremlin Theatre's Fool for Love devastates with the dire emotional consequences of passionate fools ensnared in a love beyond their understanding.

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