“Siddhartha, a Jungian Fantasyâ€Adapted from the Hermann Hesse novel by Eric Hill, directed by Eric HillThe Berkshire Theatre Festival, The Unicorn Theatre, through July 31.
Who but Eric Hill would have the audacity to bring Hesse’s novel to the stage? Who but Hill would add to the complex endeavor by putting Carl Jung, Sigmund Freud and Hesse himself into the adaptation? The question should be, rather, “Who but Eric Hill could pull of this mad task?â€
Perhaps there are a few. Orson Welles might have – after all, he did it with Melville’s classic in “Moby Dick – Rehearsed,†which Hill brought to spectacular life at the BTF. But I doubt that anyone could adapt “Siddhartha†with the particular inventiveness, style and passion that Hill brings to the challenge. That he has also directed the work is reason to doubly rejoice.
Hill, with his background in Emersonian transcendentalism, Hinduism and Buddhism – and his studies in Japan with Tadashi Suzuki – is eminently qualified for the task. He seems to have identified as closely with Hesse as Hesse identified with the eponymous protagonist of “Siddhartha;†the whole work has the sense of a deeply committed, personal journey that we are invited to share with an assured and skillful guide.
Hesse’s novel, which was a central part of the great Hesse revival in the late ’60s and early ’70s, concerns the quest for spiritual enlightenment undertaken by Siddhartha, a young man born into India’s elite Brahmin caste. The elegantly structured novel follows Siddhartha through his apprenticeships with asceticism and sensuality until he finally attains wisdom as an old man. Essentially it is the story of Buddha, retold by an empathetic westerner.
It was a tale that held cachet when Hesse wrote it after World War I and renewed value after World War II. Many Americans who struggled with the problem of bullying nationalism versus individual conscience turned to it (and Hesse) during the Vietnam years, when Hesse became a sort of spiritual guide, a source of inspiration and reinforcement. During today’s ad hoc holy war or war on terror or whatever government fable one believes or rejects, Hesse is as necessary as ever. Indeed, as Hill explains in an affecting program note, his impetus to adapt “Siddhartha†came from concerns for the spirit of independent religious experience – currently under attack by an administration that invokes blind faith in its God to justify war.
Hill humorously appropriates “The Magic Theatre (Not For Everyone)†from Hesse’s essential novel, “Steppenwolf.†It’s a smart device through which Hill can introduce into the action Hesse’s psychoanalyst, Carl Jung, and Jung’s mentor, Sigmund Freud. Hill also places two incarnations of Hesse simultaneously on stage. Hesse appears as a rather self-absorbed young man and as a wheelchair-bound old man, who acts as our narrator. In this manner Hill charts the parallel development of Hesse and Siddhartha. His masterstroke is to replace the actor playing young Siddhartha with the young Hesse, who is in turn replaced by the old Hesse. Heady? Yes, but in the best sense of the word.
By the time Siddhartha has come to his journey’s end at a river, we are fairly swimming in a torrent of ideas. Some concepts from the play’s exposition may challenge those uninitiated to Hesse and Jung, and words, such as samanas, may need clarification. But we are soon afloat.
The young actors play their roles (and multiple roles) with conviction and incredible focus. Many are on stage the entire time and are asked to assume and hold positions that are dance-like and stylized. With their disciplined grace, Hill is able to create not only a sense of movement and visuals endemic to India but, more important, the near-dramatic equivalent to Hesse’s poetry in prose.
Erin Gorski is an arrestingly sensual Shakti while Jill Michael is a statuesque Sarasvati/Nurse. Isadora Wolfe, still my favorite Peter Pan, uses her athletic presence to excellent effect as Lakshmi. She is also Kamala, Siddhartha’s lover, whom Wolfe plays as a sort of femme fatale with a sprinkling of spicy curry powder.
Of the men, John Lysaght brings an appealing innocence and purity to Siddhartha’s friend, Govinda, and Joe Jung is serenely enlightened as Vasuveda. As the first Siddhartha, Brad Kilgore nicely captures the impetuous youth, and Michael McComiskey (who starts as the young Hesse) takes over the role with confidence.
Jereme Anglin, Chris Bolden, Alexander Hill and Brian Sell also contribute fine work.
Most impressive, however, is Andrew Michael Neiman on whose shoulders rest the bulk of the play. Even with his youthful looks, he bears an uncanny resemblance to the Hesse who peers perceptively from the jackets of his reissued books. But Neiman goes far beyond mere physical impersonation, and beneath a straw hat and behind wire-rimmed glasses there is an active intellect, prescient sensitivity and, most important, air of benevolence. His transition into the older Siddhartha is magical, as befits Hesse’s aforementioned theater. What he ultimately projects in his gently towering performance is a perfectly realized transcendence.
There are many wonderful visuals in this production, which often seems part dance, part living sculpture, and which is infused with music. Among the most dramatic images is Hill’s transformation of bamboo rods from waves into barricades. Among the loveliest is that of Siddhartha’s small son (appropriately played by Alexander Hill) slowly surmounting, step-by-step, the stone slabs of Yoshi Tanokura’s aptly tiered set that counterpoises weight and lightness.
“Siddhartha†aspires to and succeeds at the theater’s highest aspiration, to enlighten as it entertains. A bit of theatrical nirvana.
Ralph Hammann is The Advocate’s chief theater critic.
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Dalton Day Returns This Saturday
By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
DALTON, Mass. — The town's popular Dalton Day festival is returning this weekend after a year's hiatus.
The event will kick off this Saturday at 11 a.m. and runs until 4 p.m. in the field in front of the Senior Center.
The community celebration was established in 2023 by the Cultural Council in an effort to increase resident participation at town meetings while also showcasing the area's welcoming, diverse, artistic and sporty atmosphere. In 2024, the event brought together 300 residents.
"The primary mission of Dalton Day is to foster a strong sense of community, build civic pride, and bring residents together through a shared celebration of local culture, music, and food," said Jeannie Ingram, Select Board member and cultural council chair, and Lori Venezia, executive assistant to the town manager.
The event provides an accessible and free platform for "civic education, community bonding, and supporting local businesses, artisans, makers, and culture more broadly," they said.
The festival strengthens the fabric of the town both civically and economically by connecting grassroots organizations with residents, fostering a shared sense of belonging, and providing free, family-friendly entertainment.
It also serves as an opportunity for community members to meet with local officials and a couple of state officials. State Sen. Paul Mark and state Rep. Leigh Davis will be coming from Beacon Hill to speak at the event.
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Brayden Durant struck out seven and walked one in a complete-game effort on the mound Saturday to pitch the Drury baseball team to a 6-0 win over Keefe Tech in the quarter-finals of the Division 5 State Tournament at Joe Wolfe Field. click for more
Jason Codey struck out 13, walked two and allowed just an infield single as the Generals earned a 7-1 win over Wahconah to claim their third straight regional title. click for more
Gracelyn Wright struck out eight, and Genevieve Lagess went 3-for-5 with four runs batted in as the Hurricanes beat Monson, 17-3, to claim their first Western Mass title in four years. click for more
