Writer : Neil Labute Direction : Rohan Trivedi Cast : Rohan Trivedi, Vedika Kaul Vyas, Rohit Rathod and Urvee Adhikari
THE SHAPE OF THINGS Review
"When Picasso took a shit, he didn't call it art. He knew the difference. That's what made him Picasso" - Adam, The Shape of Things
Art, like religion, is subjective. Just like one person's prayer is sacrilege to another; so is reception of art volatile to different spectators.
An inventive piece of art could easily be tasteless to another. Especially when the process of art creation involves treachery and consent-violation.
THE SHAPE OF THINGS is a play written by Neil LaBute that explores themes of love, art, and manipulation. The story revolves around the evolving relationships between four characters: Evelyn, an art student with a strong will and a secretive agenda; Adam, a shy and insecure college student who becomes romantically involved with Evelyn; Jenny, Adam's best friend who is initially skeptical of Evelyn's intentions; and Phillip, Jenny's fiancé who becomes a target of Evelyn's artistic ambitions.
As the play progresses, Evelyn gradually transforms Adam physically and emotionally through a series of subtle manipulations, pushing him to change his appearance and behavior to fit her artistic vision. Adam's transformation affects his relationships with Jenny and Phillip, causing tension and revealing deeper insecurities and ethical dilemmas among the characters.
THE SHAPE OF THINGS raises questions about the nature of art and its impact on personal identity, as well as the ethics of manipulation in relationships.
A black comedy, the play challenges the audience to consider the boundaries between art and life, exploring a sinister aspect to art creation.
Transformation of an individual to create art is not a new concept in literature. George Bernard Shaw's famous play Pygmalion explored it centuries back. In fact, even Adam addresses Evelyn as his personal Henry Higgins in The Shape of Things.
However, methodically documenting the transformation - without the consent of the subject - and its artistic exhibit later is the added ethical dilemma explored in this play.
It bastardises the metamorphosis, and turns it into a voyueristic show.
The eerie sense that the audience is somehow complicit in the process of art creation where boundaries are violated is reflected in the last scene, when Evelyn breaks the fourth wall and directly addresses the seated gathering as if they were at a gallery watching her MFA project.
One serious criticism of Labute's plays is that his protagonists are seriously irredeemable. Well, Evelyn wouldn't care a damn. And that brings us to the initial question stated: who decides what is good art and what is bad? Or whether it's necessary for a protagonist to have a redeeming quality?
When it comes to performances, Rohan Trivedi expresses the transition from a shy, reticent boy, to a college hottie rather well. The emotional impact of the end scene when he realises his vulnerabilities have been exploited for cheap voyeurism, and his courage in calling out his partner-cum-violator is deeply heart-wrenching to watch.
Urvee Adhikari and Rohit Rathod play their parts with excellent skill and precision, and take the story forward with a measured pizazz. Vedika Kaul Vyas chooses to play the role of Evelyn with a cold, sinister and rather Elizabeth Holmes sociopath vibe, which works.
The set design is very mid-Western America college cool. And the lighting by Inaayat Sami is efficient. The costumes are also very thoughtfully curated to reflect the personality of each character.
Under the direction of Rohan Trivedi, the play becomes a gripping piece of drama, which has no loose ends, and the right dose of pathos.
Although THE SHAPE OF THINGS was initially written for Broadway in 2001, the world has since then evolved to take into consideration added subtexts which were previously less talked about, viz, the mental cruelty faced by Adam, and the sheer violation of consent and privacy exhibited by Evelyn. Add to that, the growing fascination with AI-driven artworks, and we see ourselves staring at some serious questions about art production in the coming future.
*Divyani Rattanpal has worked as a journalist for The Quint, where she was also among the Founding Team members. While there, she also hosted and produced a podcast and fronted several standups. She's also worked for The Times of India group. She's now a theatre and film actor.
