If not for the pandemic it would be easy to regard Blindness as a very disturbing work of science fiction but with the invasion of the coronavirus, it enters the conceivable realm of non-fiction. And that raises the dramatic tension in this unusual production dominated almost entirely by recorded narration.
Timing, as they say, is everything and so it was an inspired touch to adapt José Saramago’s 1995 novel about a mysterious epidemic that caused practically everyone in the world to go blind. It debuted in the middle of the pandemic at London’s Donmar Warehouse, which was cleverly re-configured to allow for social distancing sans actors.
The setup is very similar at the Daryl Roth Theatre here in New York, with the seating limited to 86 audience members in so-called pods of space allowing for no more than two seats together. Overhead hang bars of multi-colored lights in various angles. Headphones are provided along with flashlights. And that’s about the sum total of design for this production which is mostly steeped in pitch-black darkness.
[Read Elysa Gardner’s ★★★★☆ review here.]
It’s essentially story theater delivered in high style, starting with that chilling story by the Nobel laureate Saramago, tightly adapted by Simon Stephens (acclaimed for his Tony-winning adaptation of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time) and narrated by the brilliant Juliet Stevenson who transports us for 70 intermissionless minutes into a nightmarish world steeped in violence and chaos as blind citizens are rendered nomads “bumping into each other like ants on a trail.”
The experience is immeasurably enhanced by a sophisticated audio system utilizing binaural technology which simulates the sensation of hearing sounds up close and far. When the direction calls for you to hear Stevenson whispering in your ear, you’d swear you could feel her hot breath on your cheek. Credit goes to sound designers Ben and Max Ringham for establishing an alternate universe through those headphones, one that I can best describe as an aural version of virtual reality.
As directed by Walter Meierjohann, the overall tone is unsettling to the point of being truly frightening, and that’s owed in large part to our disorienting times. The combined effect of the dystopian story, the realistic sounds and Stephenson’s bravura narration may be a little too close to the bone for some to take these days. But I would add that Saramago’s story seems all the more prescient as it ends on a note of hopefulness for his sightless souls… just as we too are emerging from our own pandemic hell.
Like it or not, Blindness marks a symbolic eye-opening of the live stage. And even if there’s more to hear than see in this work, how great to finally share a glimmer of light at the end of a very dark tunnel.
Blindness opened April 6, 2021, at the Daryl Roth Theatre. Information and tickets: blindnessevent.com
