Diary of a Madman

Based on Nikolai Gogol’s short story of a Russian bureaucrat’s descent into madness, the completely bare stage and modern costume of Rush Pearson’s adaptation help to blur the line between madness and theater. Pearson spends much of the play speaking directly to individual audience members, or swiping programs to use as various props. While these gestures are surely meant to engage us, they severely limit Pearson’s performance, which shines in his still moments of bewilderment. The use of audience members as props rather than partners obstructs our ability to truly witness or empathize with his suffering.