'Private Eyes' blurs line between dreams, reality

Every once in a while people dream of doing something they'd never actually do. They plan out the perfect way to tell off a cheating partner or exchange blows with the annoying and infuriating people around them. Rarely do those fantasies ever come true. But in Steven Dietz's "Private Eyes," those thoughts become reality — or so it seems.

"Private Eyes," the latest presentation by Lincoln's Rough Magic Productions, opens Thursday at The Loft at The Mill, 800 P St.

While watching the production, viewers won't always know if the scenarios acted out in front of them are real or merely figments of the characters' imaginations.

It's that deception and ambiguity that attracted Rough Magic co-founder and "Private Eyes" director Gregory Peters to the script.

"It's one of those things that you dig, and you're continually finding new things," Peters said. "You never quite feel you've reached reality yet."

At the risk of baffling viewers even more, the play centers around the production of another play. Married couple Matthew and Lisa, played by Jordan Warren and Mollie Cox, respectively, audition for the show.

But their relationship gets rocky when Lisa begins an affair with the play's director, Adrian, played by Joel Egger. What follows is a tale of lies, deceit and a series of events that drift between fantasy and reality.

Jessica Watson, as waitress/private detective Cory, and Jack Carpenter, as Matthew's psychiatrist Frank, round out the "Private Eyes" cast.

"It kind of seems like a dream world the entire time," Warren said. "Matthew's the guy who gets cheated on and controls his anger all the time, but the way the play works, it allows the sins of the mind to come out."

Even the setting of the show blurs the line between real situations and thoughts in the actors' heads, Peters said.

"The play lends itself to a very simple, smooth sort of staging," he said. "There's a huge advantage that a lot of ("Private Eyes") happens in a rehearsal space, which is basically the space we're working in."

The plot confused even the actors at times, Warren said, but because of Peters' careful and deliberate directing, the cast managed to put the play into perspective.

"It's a really complex script," Warren said, "but the way (Peters) broke it down, he made sure we were all coming from the same spot."

Peters said he felt comfortable with the ability of his actors to make "Private Eyes" work.

Rough Magic includes 10 local actors, directors and producers, which means Peters has worked before with most of the "Private Eyes" cast. He said it's one of the advantages to being involved with the company.

"It's a group of actors that we start with over and over again," he said.

And between all the talk of confusion and deception, Peters wanted to make sure people didn't expect an incomprehensible show.

The complex story of "Private Eyes" doesn't translate into a cumbersome play, he said.

"Describing the show, we kind of get caught up in the headiness and the artistic yada yada," he said. "But the show is so fun and fast. It constantly moves from trick to trick."

Reach Joel Gehringer at 473-7254 or jgehringer@journalstar.com.

If you go

What: "Private Eyes," Rough Magic Productions

Where: The Loft at The Mill, 800 P St.

When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, next Friday, Aug. 13, 18-20

Tickets: $10 general, $5 students and seniors. Tickets are available at the door or may be reserved by calling 730-3936.