To the Naked Eye

The bitter feeling of loneliness drives the actions of each of the characters in the play, To the Naked Eye. How far would you go to avoid loneliness?

Many people are battling loneliness. A quarter of Australian households are people living on their own. And some research suggests social media increases isolation.

In Tothe Naked Eye, Claire (Stephanie Lillis) saves her neighbour from a car accident. Stephanie (Carolyn Masson) appreciates Claire’s help and does everything she can to turn her into a friend.

But there's more going on than meets the eye. Stephanie has a connection to Adam (Robert Ricks) that she wants to keep secret from Claire.

Claire’s opening monologue hooks the audience and reveals the kind of characters these are: relatable characters that you can see yourself in.

Cerise de Gelder has written a script filled with one funny moment after another. One humorous device she uses is to have the characters reveal their internal monologue alongside their external dialogue.

This play was so well executed that to find any suggestion for improvement involves nit-picking. So here’s what I have:  one time when Rosie (Milijana Cancar) stepped forward to deliver her monologue, Masson moved between Cancar and the audience. Like I said, it’s a minor thing.

The major thing about this play is the well-written script. It features believable characters who touch your emotions in a story that makes sense. It’sdrama at its best.

Daniel G. Taylor