70 Scenes of Halloween, 2018. Performance piece, 90 minutes.
At its center, "70 Scenes of Halloween" examines a troubled marriage, exploring not only the small trials and tribulations of daily life, but also the more substantial struggles which may ultimately alter and define us. In a larger sense, the play also looks at ethereal concerns — the past which haunts us, our own inner demons, and, not least, those external and uncontrollable forces of nature, clearly present and proactive in the uni verse, which frighten, obsess, and, sometimes, possess us. Focusing on the intersection of mundane daily reality and elusive archetypal forces, playwright Jeffrey Jones creates an open terrain of theatrical possibilities, ranging from living room discourse, conducted from the relative safety of common Shaker chairs in front of the ubiquitous television, to the dark terrain of our imaginations, filled with beasts, witches, and specters. As the unifying background for these events, he situates his play on that night of infinite possibilities, both commonplace and terrifying — Halloween. What emerges is a work of kaleidoscopic variety and subtle depth, revealing, in its own peculiar and complex way, a unique vision of what it feels like to be in the world.