THE HANGOVER REPORT – Maia Novi navigates multiple realities in her hallucinatory, hyperactive new play INVASIVE SPECIES

Maia Novi in “Invasive Species” at The Vineyard’s Dimson Theatre (photo by Julieta Cervantes).

Last night, Maia Novi’s Invasive Species opened Off-Broadway at The Vineyard’s Dimson Theatre (the presentation is a commercial rental and is not to be confused for a Vineyard Theatre production). The highly stylized play was previously seen last year in a developmental staging at The Tank and returns for an extended Off-Broadway run this spring with the backing of executive producer Jeremy O. Harris (of Slave Play fame, or shall I say notoriety?). The play tells the story of an aspiring Argentinean actress (Maia) whose sense of reality splinters as she aggressively and single-mindedly pursues her American dream of becoming a Hollywood actress.

Like in John J. Caswell, Jr.’s Scene Partners — which played in the very same space and starred the great Dianne Wiest — Maia finds herself having to navigate several realities, namely between a psychiatric facility (where she mysteriously ends up after taking pills prescribed to her by her doctor) and at a film shoot of an Eva Peron biopic. To be sure, there are several thematic layers at play here — the most interesting of which relate to immigrant assimilation, identity vis-à-vis one’s career, and mental health — which Novi addresses in hallucinatory, rapid fire scenes. Interestingly, the playwright (and the director) treats each “reality” with the same visceral intensity, which gives Invasive Species a relentless, at times exhausting quality.

The brash, hyperactive, and highly choreographed staging is by auteur-in-the-making Michael Breslin — a Pulitzer Prize Finalist for his wild ride of a play Circle Jerk — who seems to be forming a theatrical aesthetic that’s distinctly his own. It’s a directorial approach that works in brilliant synchronicity with Novi’s play (special mention must go to Yichen Zhou’s ultra-precise lighting design). Taking on the role of Maia, unsurprisingly, is Novi herself, who gives a breathless performance in constant overdrive mode that captures the manic energy of her play. She’s supported by a small, hungry group of shape-shifting performers who shine brightly individually but shine even brighter in their inspired ensemble work.

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INVASIVE SPECIES
Off-Broadway, Play
The Vineyard’s Dimson Theatre
1 hour, 20 minutes (without an intermission)
Through June 30

Categories: Off-Broadway, Theater

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