By Dan Marois,Special to The Sun Journal

Always ready to tackle the new and different in contemporary theater, The Public Theatre in Lewiston embarks on a New England premiere of a recent work called “Fiction” by Steven Dietz.

And the result is a brilliant evening of theater.

Under the direction of Christopher Schario, this show is a witty and meaningful look at a couple’s marriage, a union with a few well-kept secrets. It is even more intriguing with the notion of what people may reveal in their personal diaries, words that can easily blur truth from fiction.

The show introduces us to husband and wife novelists, Michael and Linda (Robin Bloodworth and Janet Mitchko) who have been happily married for 20 years. A tragedy arises as Linda has recently been diagnosed with a brain tumor that gives her only a few weeks to live. As a dying request, she tells Michael that she wants to read his personal diaries before she leaves, knowing all too well that he’ll read her diaries after she dies.

In the diaries, Linda finds a description of an affair that Michael once had with Abby (Victoria Mack), a young woman he met at a writers’ retreat. The details of the affair come alive as Linda sits on one side of the stage reading the diary aloud while the real-life action is portrayed by the actors on the opposite end of the stage.

The show moves between the present and the past in a free-flowing mix of scenes. Once you understand the pattern – that actors transcend time and that they never change appearance or age – the show is a wonderful journey into superb storytelling.

Mitchko gives an awesome performance adeptly portraying a character with strength and fragility. She’s a master of nuance on stage, often revealing the most about her character with the least bit of effort, perhaps a whispered word or a lingering gaze.

Bloodworth is equally engaging with just the right amount of bravado and subtlety. There’s chemistry between him and his leading ladies and it shows.

Mack is powerful as “the other woman.” She crafts an amazing character that goes from sweet and innocent to profound and revealing by the play’s end.

The “Fiction” set is simply a barren stage with a desk, table and three chairs on an expansive hardwood floor. It is a great backdrop to keep audience attention on the actors and their words. A lighting design by Adam Klein richly sets the mood from scene to scene.

Playwright Dietz has stated that his original premise for writing “Fiction” was “the notion that the only thing harder than dying with a secret would be living with one.” It is an interesting thought that makes “Fiction” a wonderful show to see at The Public Theatre.

Dan Marois is an actor, writer and producer and owner of Main Street Entertainment and Mystery for Hire. He can be reached at dmarois@pivot.net.

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