While poking fun at the idea of men and women, Mark Twain’s “The Diaries of Adam and Eve” was performed as a clever and observational comedy Saturday night at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center.
“The Diaries of Adam and Eve” were originally two short stories written by Twain called “Adam’s Diary” and “Eve’s Diary” with a 12-year span between them. Adapted by David Birney, “The Diaries of Adam and Eve” takes place in the faultless Garden of Eden. The two take notice of each other and the world around them in a journey of discovering knowledge.
Adam (Birney) and Eve (Madylon Brans) continuingly write in their own diaries — as they read it aloud for the audience — of what their days entail and who they encounter, predominantly of what they discover about each other.
Despite the fact that these are their first days of life, their wit and charm are timeless in what represents a man and a woman. Their comments of man’s tendency to over-analyze and woman’s emotion to name everything herself, from the animals to the fruit, splits the sides of every audience member. The overall typecast of the observational commentary develops into what represents them to what attracts them to the other.
The story builds up to the fruit of the forbidden tree, which symbolizes a sense of responsibility. Birney and Brans hold amazing performances of development through age.
More significantly noted in the beginning of the performance, Eve is a giddy and cute child of God who runs around with her high-pitched voice while learning about whatever she can find.
By the end, Brans has fashioned an amazing transformation into an older woman before the audience’s eyes by gradually changing her voice. Birney’s transformation is also pleasing and seems to be developed at a steadier pace. His voice is soothing and unique the entire way through.
The use of few pieces of wardrobe also enhance their growth, symbolizing their ages with a shawl or a thicker coat for an older man. The simplicity of the props used in the performance is also pleasing. A vine and flower-wrapped gazebo and two park benches center the stage and administer a sense of an imagination that is more powerful — especially in the scene when they discover what death means. Even with a lack of physical presence, the audience does not cease from sniffles and tears when Adam and Eve’s child, Abel, dies.
From a carefree and comedic way of pointing out the differences of what makes a man and a woman, to the seriousness of discovering life, love and death, the performance and the storyline aim to make more than just Adam and Eve appreciate and learn.
It is an edge-of-your-seat piece that deserves the standing ovation at the end, despite that once the play ended, Birney admits to the pants that tore in one of the scenes. The less-than-corporative wardrobe malfunction could not harm a less than five-star review.
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