THE HANGOVER REPORT – Daniel Fish embodies existential angst in his “freely” adapted stage version of Dan DeLillo’s WHITE NOISE

Daniel Fish in "White Noise" at NYU Skirball.

Daniel Fish in “White Noise” at NYU Skirball.

I was recently able to catch White Noise, Daniel Fish’s (self-professed) “freely” adapted stage version of Dan DeLillo’s seminal 1985 novel of the same name, which played NYU Skirball for a brief weekend-long run. Mr. Fish is responsible for one of the most stunning and unlikely artistic achievements currently on Broadway; that would be the director’s uncompromising Tony-winning revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! (if you haven’t already seen it, don’t miss it). It’s no surprise, therefore, that I jumped at the chance to take in his minimalist one-man adaptation of White Noise, which stars Mr. Fish himself.

In short, White Noise delves into the psyche of Jack Gladney (played by Mr. Fish), a professor of Nazi studies in a New England college. Although any semblance of a traditional narrative is only suggested, if that, by the stage adaptation, the anxiety of modern living comes through loud and clear. Mr. Fish’s collage-like adaptation, which relies on seemingly endless lists, falls squarely in the realm of experimental theater, stripping Mr. DeLillo’s novel down to its bare essence. Mr. Fish and his stream of conscience mutterings are backed by video projections of the staged brutalization of German youths (!), all of which frightfully point to our psychological reliance on what are ultimately flimsy human constructs.

I can see how people would find the production frustrating. Its avant garde DNA all but guarantees more similarities with art installations rather than legitimate theater, which may not be everyone’s preferred idea of a proper night at the theater. Personally, however, I found the distilled concept of the stage version of White Noise to be striking, hypnotic, and increasingly harrowing despite its brief running time of just over an hour. Kudos to an excellent technical team (lights, sound, and video projections are all top notch), which has brilliantly executed the director’s vision. As for Mr. Fish’s performance, I was drawn in by his relentlessly deadpan, strangely magnetic performance.

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WHITE NOISE
Off-Broadway, Play
NYU Skirball
1 hour, 10 minutes (without an intermission)
Closed

Categories: Off-Broadway, Theater

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