*Ding*

The people in the world of The Dabbler... are so interconnected and overcome by choices that living seems to cease for them. The most concrete example is Jeffery, a struggling writer, incapable of finishing (or starting) his book. Orlando wants out (of what, we never know). Cheryl is feeling some sort of shift in her “body and soul” as well. Everyone is moving in one direction while she is fighting against and unexplainable current.

It’s on this front that The Dabbler… truly connects.  While the world is wrapped in fantasy, every character is struggling with issues that are so universal that it’s impossible not to connect. Who hasn’t felt like Cheryl, fighting against some unknown sinking feeling? Who hasn’t been so deep in a situation, like Orlando, that all they want is “out”.  Who hasn’t felt like Jeffery, so unable to commit to a choice that they become paralyzed and stagnant? This is why we route for them. If they can find the answers to their problems, maybe we can too.

There is a lot of talk about doors in The Dabler... The problem is everyone here has too many doors and can’t commit to taking just one. Early in the film Orlando chooses to seek help from his friend Seth. Orlando chooses to communicate to Seth in Spanish, while Seth speaks to him in English.  It’s an endearing choice by director Reid Gershbein. Sometimes we are given subtitles, sometimes not.  It pays off astonishingly well because we fully understand what they are talking about simply through body language and tone. Orlando is unable to choose a door, so he opts to destroy them all together. Seth provides him with a mysterious box that will solve his problem for him, but with the possibility of “breaking things”…for everyone. I won’t ruin “what happens”, but it truly doesn’t matter. The story here seems to be more about how the characters find their way to choosing a door, not which door they choose.

The Dabbler… just works on every level. Aesthetically, the style is more refined here than in Here. My Explosion... The tilt shift style adds to the world the characters inhabit. It makes sense for things to blur and seem unnatural because their world is unclear and for the majority of the film, broken. Everyone embodies their roles because Reid seemingly allows his actors to blend themselves into…themselves. How much of Jeffery is truly Jeffery, or Orlando is Orlando is something only Reid and the actors could answer, but allowing them to do this works.

My only question after watching The Dabbler...; whose choice was it to let Seth Burnham wear those pants?

*Ding*

For more information about The Dabbler... visit http://www.royalbaronialtheatre.com/blog/ or follow Reid Gershbein on Twitter.