Diary of a Madman

Adapted from the Origional Short Story by Nikolai Gogol, 1830

1 Actor
Approx. 1 hour 15 minutes.
Stage Directions from our original production are included.

The original text and stage directions were developed over 6 months in readings and rehearsals, then months of performance both in Suburbia, Long Island, NY, at our theater in residence at Dowling College, and then on Theater Row in NYC. The production received rave NY Times, Newsday and other major paper reviews, standing ovations, and accolades from the general public and academia alike and made this one of the most successful performances I had created. The piece and original writing by Gogol was a large part of this. But I think we created a very powerful visual as it was done in an intimate theater where the audience witnesses, close up, the slow disintegration into madness of this single, lonely, kind man.

The text is a magnificent examination of what happens when dignity and love are taken away from us, and we try to protect ourselves to upload it against a ruthless cultural indifference. We see a normal man, a kind man, slowly spiral downward, watching his delusions evolve in front of us, as the culture around him neglects, and then abuses his existence.

Sound familiar?

This is a tour de force for an actor who can dig deep into the slow disintegration of reality, without alienating the audience. It's funny, but also tragic, and filled with moments of beauty as well.

The situation takes place in a small room. We took a few set pieces and turned them into various props, and environments as he travels through the myriad of locations in this short 1 hour and 15 minute solo play. It's a simple construct for a complex piece. Projections of dates slowly become more disconnected, and fragmented from reality, as the man spirals into complete delusion to allow his sense of self, dignity and safety to exist, while the outer world slowly becomes more brutal, abusive, and violent towards him. Ultimately as he's being beaten in an asylum, he believes he's in training to become the Kind of Spain - but ultimately at the end, he breaks down into the pained, frightened child we all are, seeking his mother's salvation - who is not there. This is what happens when we abuse others, when cultures entrap rather than enable, when market value supersedes human value - and because this continues to exist as the foundation of our culture, and many cultures around our world, this work is as relevant today as it was in Russia, 1830. Perhaps moreso because it was relevant so many years ago.

Have we changed, or are we creating a world of delusional, sadly abused humans trying to simply find a small crevice of dignity and love, within it?