What does love mean to an individual, and what value does it hold if it hurts you rather than heals you? This is the question I first had after watching the play, “The Maid & The Mesmerizer,” by Patricia Lynn and directed by Jenn Susi. This play is set in a modern-day environment and follows two characters, the maid and the mesmerizer, as they set off on a hypnosis tour together. The maid is very strict about her relations with her male co-creative, and creates a document both must sign to ensure that, other than sexual endeavors, no emotional relationship is formed. Through the ups and downs of their journey, a strong relationship emerges. Is it love, though? Through the dialogue-heavy and intimate setting, I was drawn into a gut-wrenching performance that mirrors our world today.
Love is the central theme of the play, explored through the maid and the mesmerizer as they slowly break the rules of the maid’s given contract and become more vulnerable with each other. But does their relationship count as love? When watching this play, I initially thought that this storyline would follow the friends-with-benefits-to-lovers trope, in which the two would end up together at the end. I believed that through challenging the maid to explore the demons of her past, she would be able to find space to love again. This assumption quickly left my mind after the one night when the mesmerizer hypnotized the maid, and then raped her. From then on, the play’s tone shifted, along with the relationship.
The play intricately represented one’s ability to control and manipulate. Through the first half of the play, the mesmerizer was able to convince me that his intentions were fully pure and that his love for her, although never expressed verbally, was unconditional. Positioning the male protagonist as a mesmerizer was a stylistic choice that added such texture to the play. Through this untraditional lens, I learned about the manipulative nature one can hold on another. Patrick T. Horn perfectly encapsulated this character, with his calm and convincing nature that was juxtaposed with his intentions and later actions. Although it was still in question whether or not he meant well, it became apparent that in his need to “cure” her, an unequal power dynamic was formed in which he asserted the dominating role, manipulating her mind and emotions. The maid, played by the playwright herself, Patricia Lynn, was outstanding in the ways she expressed pain, love, and heartbreak. Through her character, I was able to explore the complexities of someone with trauma, and how trust isn’t as easy to gain as you’d expect. I enjoyed how well-structured and thought-out the writing was within this play. Every line and detail had its connections and reasons that aligned at the end, an example being the maid’s fear of men and relationships. She expressed how she fears men due to what they have done to her in her past, which the mesmerizer then uses against her.
The heavy topic of rape was uniquely explored through the idea of mesmerizing versus hypnotizing. The mesmerizer had stated from the beginning that his role is to mesmerize, not hypnotize. Mesmerizing was explained as safe and secure, while hypnotizing was viewed as scary and vulnerable. Once he had raped her, it was revealed that he, in fact, never acted with care and compassion, but rather with manipulative intent. The maid only fully realized that she was in a safe position when it was too late, and she had already been hurt. Through her process of figuring out his intentions, she discovers and simply says it best, “How can you love me so much and not understand that you raped me?” Through this heartbreaking line, I, along with many other audience members, were sucked into her experience, our sympathy growing.
When talking about this play and the intimacy level it created, I believe it is important to mention the space in which it was performed. The Jeffrey and Paula Gural Theatre was small, with around 20 seats. The space was a non-elevated stage with a few boxes, bedside tables, a bed, and some backdrops. The set changes between their initial interview location and the motels they stayed at during their tour, didn’t require anything other than the shifting of a few boxes to symbolize change. The non-elevated stage made me feel as though I was one with the cast. Due to the slight inclination of my seat, it felt at times as though I was an observer, spectating an experiment from above, the experiment being their relationship. The way the actors hinted at the similar settings through dialogue, added some additional comedic effect. I was pleased with how the set didn’t distract from the actors, and worked with the lighting to create a setting.
The use of lighting within the play created contrasting atmospheres that matched the emotions of the characters. The use of red, orange, and yellow tones at the beginning of the play added some warmth to the stage, which complemented the light-toned interactions between the two characters. The most immersive experience through lighting was when the maid was in a state of hypnosis. White light oversaturated the room, which symbolized the cold, vulnerable, snowy state that she was in. Within those moments, it was felt that she was somewhere else, not in control, and scared. The lights noticeably shifted one more time during the final scene where the maid walks out. The use of yellow lighting created shadows that replicated the sunrise in the space. Within the moment of her awakening, as an audience member, I felt a hopeful tone for her. Although a painstaking moment, she was greeted with a new day and an opportunity to start fresh and leave. The use of this yellow light made me feel as though I was in a sunny room with her, saying goodbye to someone I thought I trusted.
If you enjoy dialogue-heavy, introspective, intimate plays, “The Maid & The Mesmerizer” is definitely worth watching. The play explores common themes like love, hurt, and trust through an unconventional, yet unique storyline. The production, script, and actors are all perfectly intertwined, creating an outstanding production that I would watch again!
Get tickets to see “The Maid & The Mesmerizer” online HERE through March 16th.
