George Orwell cynically believed that revolutionary and counter-revolutionary forces both had the same goal: getting and keeping power at any cost. Halfway through “Purchase” by Ian W. Hill, Lady Stefanie Anderssen expresses this same point of view. In the case of Lady Anderssen, a wealthy pianist whose recordings have been suppressed by the new leftist government, her convictions and political ideology are formed by a reactionary and right-wing greed even though she claims to be a liberal.
The plot of “Purchase”, a two-woman show starring Alyssa Simon as Lady Stefanie Anderssen, an internationally renowned pianist, and Anna Stefanic as Colonel Simonette Allyson, chronicles the development the relationship between these two women. The place, as the program states, is “the future, probably”, and the time is “the USA, probably”. The USA has by now become a banana republic and Colonel Allyson has been sent to Lady Anderssen’s home to interview the right-wing musician about her donations to political organizations that may secretly be funding terrorist groups. At the end of the first interview, Colonel Allyson concludes that her data is inconclusive and that they will have to have at least ten or twelve more sessions, all of which take place at the home of Lady Anderssen. Over the course of their meetings, Colonel Allyson reveals that she once aspired to be a classical musician, just like Lady Anderssen. At this point they begin a more intimate relationship that is distorted by hallucinations, suspicions, and intrigue. Their identities and political positions become blurred and ultimately interchangeable so that the denouement becomes inevitable.
The political message of the play is contained in a parable for how far right-wing regimes maintain power. Therefore “Purchase” succeeds extremely well in highlighting many of the political issues confronting Americans today: the illegal tactics of the NSA, illegal wars, suppression of protests, the criminalization of victims, and the myriad other aspects of the decaying political life of contemporary America. On a more technical note, everything about this production has a certain amount of polish. Alyssa Simon’s and Anna Stefanic’s performances are first class. Ms. Stefanic, in addition to being an excellent actress, is also a wonderful musician and treats the audience to a live performance of a piece by Debussy. Ian Hill’s direction, while on the eccentric side at the beginning, very soon reveals itself as highly stylized and distinctive. The show’s design, also by Hill, is functional and innovative and creates a sense of the impending doom and paranoia that one would expect in an environment undergoing a shift of political power. Hill’s use of two-way mirrors seems the perfect political tool for covert operations. Hill’s use of music is also quite intriguing. The entire piece is set to rock and roll although both characters are classical pianists, further blurring any political connotations each of these genres – and protagonists -- may have.
The author’s vision of a future revolution in the USA may not be prophetic, but it is undoubtedly informed about our current political situation. This makes the play very much worth seeing.
Performances of "Purchase" continue through November 23rd. For more information, check out our full event listing here: https://stagebuddy.com/listingdetail.php?lid=16054
