The “L” WORD
Both of Doug Reed’s plays use a similar story-within-a-story structure. In Antigone Lost a professor, attempting to win back his estranged wife, unveils what he claims is a long-lost play by Sophocles, “Antigone Lost,” in which Sophocles appears as a character and attempts to win back his estranged wife by continuing the story of Antigone. Sophocles quickly becomes sidetracked, however, and tells instead about Creon’s attempts to win back his estranged (and very dead) wife, Eurydice. Watching this play unfold into a play within a play within a play, it’s hard to decide whether to applaud the author for his persistence in creating so many frames or hiss him for being so obvious about it.
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The play’s greater success may have something to do with Tanner’s more sophisticated direction too. Tanner’s staging of Reginald and Victoria is much more textured than his Antigone Lost. Of course it’s a much sexier play, both literally–the play is about sexual attraction, as opposed to rejection–and figuratively. Reginald and Victoria constantly find themselves in James Bond-ish cliff- hangers–Victoria hanging by a thread over a waterfall, for instance, while Reginald dukes it out with their archenemy, Dr. Kardokas. These scenes must have been a blast to stage.
