‘Constellations’ Explores the Infinite Variations of Life
Abstract Play Brings Avant-Garde Opportunities at Ventura’s Rubicon Theatre
Those who saw writer Nick Payne’s recent film, We Live in Time, will notice some thematic similarities with his 2012 play, Constellations, which will be produced by Ventura’s Rubicon Theatre Company February 19 through March 9. Constellations tells the story of a relationship in both linear and non-linear fashion as it explores the infinite variations that can exist simultaneously throughout the multiverse. He’s a beekeeper and she’s a physicist — like finding harmony in the seeming chaos of buzzing bees or quantum physics, Constellations shows this love story progress in real, emotional terms despite jumps across an array of timelines. Director Jonathan Fox says the play is exploring cause and effect and asking about the existence of free will — a question, he says, that is not easily answered.
An abstract play like Constellations allows the opportunity for avant-garde design, and scenic designer Francois Couture is creating a glowing, mirrored space within the Rubicon, intended to bend perception. “The idea is that they are floating in an alternate reality,” says Couture. Inspirations include the Infinity Room at the Broad museum in Los Angeles and Olafur Eliasson’s OPEN exhibit at the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, both of which feature artists warping awareness with mirrors. “We are playing with perception of space and depth,” says Couture, “and because Constellations is about the same story through different timelines and alternate realities, having curved mirrors on the walls [at the Rubicon] allows the audience to see a different perspective of the performers. Conceptually, it echoes the themes of the play.”
On one hand, Fox describes the experience of the play as a “vast universe” in which you see yourself “repeating in mirrors ad infinitum,” yet the story is still the basic template of two people struggling to make love work. “It’s a simple space,” says Couture, “for a simple but rich emotional journey.”
See Constellations at the Rubicon Theatre (1006 E. Main St., Ventura) February 19 through March 9. For tickets, see rubicontheatre.org.
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