Reviewed by Judy Richter
If a researcher discovered a way
to cure cancer, untold riches and acclaim would await. But wait. What if he
discovered that the cure didn't work in its present form? Then what? These are
some of the issues raised in "Secret Order" by Bob Clyman, being given
its regional premiere in a sharp production by San Jose Repertory Theatre.
After
presenting a paper outlining a theoretical cure, young researcher William
Shumway (James Wagner) is lured away from his Midwestern lab to a prestigious cancer research
institute led by Robert Brock (Robert Krakovski). William moves to the company's
lab in New York and begins his promising studies on mice. Robert is so
mesmerized by the possibilities that he arranges for William to present his
findings at a prestigious conference and publish them in the New England
Journal of Medicine.
Robert,
a fast-talking man not given to listening, brushes aside some of the problems
that have arisen. William, a nice but naive man who apparently doesn't want to
spoil Robert's good mood, isn't assertive enough to insist that they need to go
slower while he tries to resolve some problems. Also figuring into the action
is a brash but extremely bright Harvard junior, Alice Curiton (Kathryn Tkel), who becomes William's valuable
assistant. In the background but eventually pulling strings is 67-year-old Saul
Roth (Julian López-Morillas), a longtime researcher whom Robert wants to dump. In
the end, no one comes out looking very good.
Playwright
Clyman raises some important issues as he explores the potential conflicts
between pure science and profit, especially since research often takes lots of
time and money before an effective, profitable product emerges. And sometimes
"effective" and "profitable" are at odds with each other,
too.
Director
Chris Smith and
his sharp cast keep the action moving well, especially in the second act as
tensions rise. David Lee Cuthbert's scenic and media designs lend a high-tech feel to this
staging in the heart of Silicon Valley. Costumes by B. Modern, lighting by Pamila Gray and sound by Steve Schoenbeck also enhance the production.
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