World Premiere at AlterTheater

First, let’s explain that Lauren D. Yee’s play, “A Man, His Wife, and His Hat” has nothing to do with Oliver Sachs’ book, “The Man Who Mistook his Wife for a Hat.” Yee’s work, described as “a quirky comedy,” was commissioned for San Rafael’s AlterTheater Ensemble and developed in workshops with them. It’s being presented in a different storefront on Fourth Street in San Rafael, this time at 1414.

“A Man, His Wife, and His Hat” begins with a clarinet in the klezmer style and a man who appears to be chasing his hat in the wind. Once he catches the hat and puts it on, the music becomes lively, and he dances to it. (The audience enjoys this part.)

Then the man, known only as Hetchman, sinks into a wide chair with his TV remote and a can of nuts. A screen on the wall – Wall is one of the characters -- says, “Next Day.” He’s still there. “Next Day” is repeated twice more. Then Hetchman summons his wife, “Hey, wife!” to show her the hat’s gone. They bicker about it briefly; after which Hetchman goes back to the chair. The Wall says, “Still Missing” and repeats that for an additional five days.

Now it becomes clear that Wife is also missing. Fifteen years pass, and Hetchman is still watching TV and eating nuts. The audience now understands that this is theatre of the absurd, and anything can happen.

Whatever it is, it won’t be soon. Wall notes that thirty years go by before Hetchman realizes “Wife” has gone. Meckel, an old friend and kindly neighbor, says that if Hetchman will just give her a call, she’ll come back with the hat, but Hetchman has no idea what her name is.

To this point, all the characters, Wall included, speak with middle-European accents, and the humans dress in Old World clothing. But an abrupt change into modern time brings in two modern characters, a man and a woman making wedding plans. However, the young man feels “floaty,” which means his fiancee’s love is not properly anchoring him to the ground. She admits it. Guiding messages in the form of wadded-up notes are tossed in from offstage.

Next, a large and hairy golem appears. The golem, a figure associated with Jewish folklore, does not speak, but roars and grunts a lot. (The audience enjoys the golem.) Hetchman plans to train him to clean the house in place of Wife, who is traveling on a train, searching for a hatmaker to make a copy of her husband’s beloved hat, so she can have one for herself.

AlterTheater performs in the empty storefronts, and the audience sits on folding chairs in a U around the room, close to the actors. At this close-and-personal distance, talent shows up clearly. Patricia Silver as Hetchman’s wife and Ed Holmes as Meckel seem entirely at ease with their rather static characters. Jeff Garrett as Hetchman is required to doze in a chair much of the time, but later, when he’s reciting a list of old memories found in a jar, he shows how much more he can do. Jeanette Harrison, as Voice and the fiancée, also does not have much of a part to work with, and that’s unfortunate. Hugo E. Carbajal as the unloved Gabe, does a little better with his attempts to stay “grounded” without his fiancee’s affection. The Golem, Jonathan Deline, uses his mobile facial expressions to overcome a lack of dialogue. And Wall, spoken by Nakissa Eternad, is the only one besides Golem to evoke humor. Robin Stanton directed this premiere production.

Inside “A Man, his Wife, and his Hat” is a sweet love story trying to get out, and Lauren Yee should quit messing around and make it happen. Until that happens, this show is playful, but it’s not yet a play.

“A Man, his Wife, and his Hat” will be in residence at 1414 Fourth Street in San Rafael through December 4. For complete information, call 454-2787 or see www.altertheater.org.