Eleanor Hamilton (Sarah Cotter '07) is a young woman whose talent for mathematics is unparalleled even by her cruel but brilliant father. He keeps her locked in a tower and forces her to write math papers for which he takes full credit. Her father dies one night while she is at a fancy ball, having been let out by her fairy godmother Madame Penepepe (Scout Durwood '06). The other members of the ensemble are Eleanor's sister Hannah (Laura Strickman '07), who got everything Eleanor didn't when they were growing up; Atherton (James Drake '05), a young genius prince; and Mister Sunset (Matthew Peverill '07), Atherton's quiet, awkward lackey and friend.
"Edges" begins with the familiar Cinderella-style story of rags to riches, narrated by Mister Sunset, as the other characters act out the plot, often freezing in their positions so that they appear as drawings in a story book. Mui has an eye for the picturesque, and these "illustrations" are striking despite the sparse and unglamorous set.
After the happily ever after, the narrative takes a turn. As Madame Penepepe gesticulates around a still pair of figures, she throws "reality" in our faces with a grin. According to her, "36 percent of royal couples separate on their wedding night when the bride realizes that her prince's thick, shining armor and that sword he slayed the dragon with were just ways of overcompensating for other inadequacies." That's the first big hint that this fairy tale isn't like the ones you read when you were growing up.
At that point the story rewinds a little and reveals what really happened. This tale is funnier, darker and more ambivalent than the first. Underneath the humor and fanciful storytelling lies a deep cynicism. "Love's just beautiful words hiding the desire to completely possess someone," one character bitterly remarks. Mui's writing is comedic and creative. Several monologues pertain to mathematics. Although they were conceptually beyond my grasp, they succeeded in showing a poetic side to math which is rarely noticed.
Part of the play's unusualness is in its design. The set is especially minimalistic. There is no stage, just an empty black room with a catwalk around the sides. There are few material props, but characters constantly use plain white chalk to draw their own settings or scribble equations on the floor and walls. In contrast, Mui's costumes effectively express the characters' personalities. Eleanor, for example, wears a pretty but simple dress, complete with a side pocket for holding bits of chalk.
Drake is unfortunately miscast as Atherton. He seems a fine enough actor, but the character calls for more suavity and elegance than Drake can apparently convey. He might have done better as Mister Sunset. Instead, Peverill fills that role, and does a good job with it. Eleanor may be the protagonist, but Mister Sunset is easily the most accessible character. Cotter and Strickman are both convincing in their respective roles, but they also have a compelling love-hate chemistry that helps drive the story forward.
But the show rests most heavily on the shoulders of Durwood as Madame Penepepe, who becomes a fairy godmother, bartender or lawyer as necessary. With her cheerful realism, loopy speeches and exaggerated gestures, Penepepe is the main source of the comedy that keeps the play buoyant despite its unhappy themes. Durwood happily rises to the challenge. She wholly invests herself in this character, and in doing so, draws us in as well.
"Edges" isn't as satisfying as it could be for a couple of reasons. First, it is difficult to relate to the characters. Eleanor earns our compassion but is too brittle to inspire real affection. Penepepe does endear herself to us, but she is completely unreal; we are only meant to enjoy her, not understand her. Mister Shadow is the most sympathetic character, but because he isn't central to the plot, it's not enough. Second, the ending is too inconclusive. Nothing seems resolved. In fact, it ends just when everything seems to be coming to a head. True, life is messy like that, but such open-endedness doesn't work in a self-contained play.
On the other hand, this production is worth seeing if only because you'll probably never again see anything like this blend of comedy and cynicism, Cinderella and calculus. It's clear that the cast, crew and especially Mui have put a lot of themselves into the play; this personal investment is what makes the play so distinctive. Certain bits, such as a brief exchange about eclairs, could only be the product of a unique imagination. "Edges" is never boring and may even encourage you to expand your thinking in new directions. There's something intriguing about a play that can make mathematics look like poetry.
"The Edges That Remain" will run Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m. in Holden Theater.