by Geoff Hoff~

Fate is the notion that there is a power quite outside ourselves that controls the interactions and odd happenings of our lives, that there are outcomes and circumstance we experience that are pre-determined for us.  The idea is that, when something unexpectedly wonderful or tragic happens, it was fated to happen.  Fate can be brought on by mortals, as when a government determines the fate of a criminal, it can be something quite supernatural, as in when two people are fated to be together.  It can also be influenced by our own deeds, as when we tempt fate by contemplating something inadvisable or seal our fate by doing something untoward.

Destiny is similar to fate, it is the notion that what our lives hold is already written out for us and we can go along with it, or fight it, but the end result will be what is already pre-determined.  To believe in destiny, one must believe in a fixed, almost inflexible Universe, and a power that controls it either every step of the way, or by assuring that, no matter what steps you take, the outcome will be what it has determined it will be.  It is something you cannot control, rather you, or at least your future, is controlled by it.

Coincidence is the notion that two seemingly similar things that are unrelated in any other way are simply random happenings, not controlled by outside forces or by ourselves.  It is a mere coincidence that two people were born on the same day, but in quite different countries, and both were named John.  It is not fate, it is not destiny.

Some people believe that there are no coincidences, that unexpectedly similar happenings are fated or even destined to happen.  Some believe in both fate and coincidence, that there are random ocurance, but that any seemingly random occurrence with great significance, even if the significance is not at first evident, is fate.

Which brings us to 11, September, the visiting production at the Odyssey Theatre by the Breadline Group of Chicago.  The play, written by and staring Paul Kampf, attempts to explore the distinctions between fate, destiny and coincidence.  It attempts to tie the lives and backgrounds of two seemingly completely unrelated people into a web of striking similarities of time and event, then attempts to dissect whether these similarities are truly random or are predestined.  And it also attempts to tie those to “September 11″.

Martin Healy (played by Kempf) is a mathematician, an expatriate American living in London, who visits New York for the first time in many years to give a talk at a symposium about a statistical analysis of the events of September 11, 2001.  He is a meek everyman, but has had two unbelievably passionate albeit brief affairs in his life, both of which changed the direction of his life.

Angela Madison (Liz Rebert) is the woman many years his junior, with whom he has the second of these affairs.  The action of the play is almost entirely in the small apartment of Ms. Madison, with small interludes at the podium where Mr. Healy presents his talk.  And, it seems, every event of any significance in either of these two disparate lives happened on the eleventh of September of some year.  In between having torrid sex and fending off memories, old flames and their parents, this couple debates the relative merits of fate and coincidence and every new revelation sways one or the other toward the other side of the debate.  (The sex is mostly implied.  Many scenes start with Mr. Kampf in bed and Ms. Rebert somewhere else, and many blackouts entailed the quick removal of clothing, which then must be put back on in the subsequent scene.)

The play starts out on a good footing, but the revelations build up into a very unwieldy pile and, ultimately feel false.  The author throws bizarre coincidence (or are they fate?) upon bizarre coincidence and fateful happenstance (or are they coincidence?) upon fateful happenstance until it has stretched the credibility and patience of the audience to a breaking point.  Then he throws tragic twist and revelation upon the last tragic twist and revelation, in an attempt to devastate the audience.  It ends up being an entirely intellectual enterprise and the audience is left largely unmoved by what could and should have been a wrenching experience.

And to attempt to tie this all together with September 11th, especially the political underpinnings of that fateful day, is completely unconvincing, dishonest and extranious.

Mr. Kampf is quite good as Healy.  We quite believe that this nebnishy everyman could have experienced two grand passions in his life.  His script, however, throws some twists at the character that even he has trouble believing.

Ms. Rebert plays Madison to about an inch below the surface.  She has some affecting moments, as when she flirtatiously attempts to seduce Healy in a bid to deflect the very uncomfortable direction of a conversation.  However, as we begin to understand the character’s history, background, philosophy and family, we believe that this young woman has actually experienced these things less and less.

The argument between fate and coincidence seems not to have been resolved in this strangely didactic play, although the scale is heavily weighted toward fate.  We believe, despite the coy attempt by the author to leave everything unresolved, that he strongly believes in destiny.

Costumes, by Laura Brody, were simple and effective.  The program doesn’t say who designed the set, but the lights were done by Basco Flanagan, again, simple and effective.  The direction was by Gita Donovan.

11, September is performed through February 8th, 2010 Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m and Sundays at 7 p.m.

Ticket prices: $25.00 - $30.00

The Odyssey Theatre is located at 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles, 90025, just north of Olympic Blvd.

Reservations online at http://11septemberplay.info or by phone at (310) 477-2055 ext. 2.