Fool for Love first premiered in 1983 with Ed Harris and Kathy Baker in the lead roles at Magic Theatre in San Francisco. It was written by Sam Shepard, who passed away this year on July 27th. This play is more than worthy of a revisit. It’s a timeless story of love and betrayal. Eddie meets May at a motel after having not seen each other for quite a while. She wants him to leave, but at the same time she can’t bear to see him go. The history of their relationship is revealed as they struggle to figure out their future.
Tiffany Bedwell’s performance of May is strong. It’s a roller coaster of a ride for her character. She makes the struggle of the relationship so real that the audience can feel her pain.
John Byrnes as Eddie is a force. He feeds off Bedwell and his frustration of not knowing what May wants is laid bare and makes him very emotional.
Henry Bolzon plays The Old Man, a lost and confused soul. Before the play starts, he begins to move through a row to an empty seat. He is stopped and asked to go around, since the seat is right on the aisle on the opposite side.
Darren Hill plays Martin perfectly. He is thrown into this crazy situation with very little idea what is happening. He represents the audience searching for answers.
The light and the sound design are excellent. The audience can feel the cars outside as they pull up with their headlights on, engine roaring followed by the squeal of the tires when they pull away. The music does an excellent job of setting the scene in a motel in the middle of nowhere.
It’s truly a fantastic play all around and a must-see.
Quinn Delaney
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