Cats don’t fret. They’re content being themselves, doing catlike things like combing the backyard for critters to murder and eat. Humans, less so. For them, life is more complicated. There’s the right and wrong of our actions to consider. Cats have no such moral quandaries, no despair or ennui to face.
That thin line between savagery and civilization is the stated theme of Jen Silverman’s masterful dark comedy Wink, now receiving a brilliant production at Second Thought Theatre.
Contradictions abound as the popular, prolific playwright holds a mirror up to modern existence. While the slick script has an internal logic that makes perfect sense, the plot delivers one head-turning surprise after another. First produced in 2019, it feels startlingly of the moment.
Tautly directed by Jenna Burnett, with design elements that amplify both its humorous and horrific sides — sometimes simultaneously — Wink stars a quartet of some of Dallas’ best actors doing their best work.
Seen last Saturday, Garret Storms’ delicate rendering of the title character, a sniffing, pawing, philosophizing cat that comes between a dysfunctional couple, could’ve stolen just about any other show. Instead, Omar Padilla as Gregor and Lauren LeBlanc as Sofie match Storms’ perfectly calibrated control of the surreal material.
“I hunt. I kill,” Wink says matter-of-factly, without a trace of guilt. “I find pleasure.”
As unhinged as Gregor and Sofie become over the course of the play — Wink is, ironically, the only sane creature on stage — their therapist Dr. Frans (excitedly portrayed by John M. Flores) is more far gone. His advice on handling human problems? “Shove it down!” Then take a vacation.
When the show opens, Wink is missing. Gregor has been a bad boy, giving in to his darker impulses. By the end, they’ve essentially switched roles, reflected in the genius of Karina Sanchez’s costume design. The cat, formerly clad in a loose slip as he discusses his nature, has put on a shirt and tie. Meanwhile, the man who started out in a three-piece suit is down to a loincloth made of animal skin.
The role reversal grows out of Dr. Frans’ attempt to domesticate if not woo Wink (a tempting prospect even for a self-satisfied beast) and Gregor’s effort to fulfill his fantasies. For all the humor, the scenes between Storms and Flores eventually take on a poignant quality as Wink interrogates why people behave the way they do and the good doctor tries to explain. It brings them closer. Sofie experiences her own transformation into Roland, the beret-wearing revolutionary of her dreams.
The set has it both ways, too, a well-appointed living room and kitchen designed by Justin Locklear but in nature-conjuring tones of green and brown. Have we reached enlightenment, or are we still in the untamed jungle?
The contrast between the play’s strange turns and its reasonable tone is key to the dry wit of Wink. Lighting designer Niels Winter further reflects that approach by illuminating an outline of Gregor and Sofie’s home — which also serves as Dr. Frans’ — with a shifting, twinkling color palette that acts like a mood ring.
A few times a season, a production stands out from the rest. Second Thought’s Wink is one of those highlights.
Details
Wink runs through July 13 at Bryant Hall, 3636 Turtle Creek Blvd. $25. secondthoughttheatre.com/wink.
