No Exit is the English-language adaptation of Huis Clos, an existential play written by Jean-Paul Sartre in 1944. Initially apprehensive about seeing an overwrought philosophical treatise, I was pleasantly surprised by the script, which was simultaneously funny, thoughtful, and provocative. No Exit is set in a hotel room in hell where, one by one, three guests enter. Through their interactions, we learn about their deaths and the reasons why they were sent to hell.
The show was directed by Emily Hofstetter, who commented that juggling two plays was a challenge (she was also a part of last week’s production of Saints Alive!). Still, she had nothing but praise for her cast. “It wasn’t too bad when I have a cast as talented as these guys are,” she said.
In the program, Hofstetter notes that the first time she watched a productionf of Sartre’s play it struck a negative note. “In less than 20 minutes I felt like writhing in my seat. I have never wanted to escape a play so badly,” she admitted. However, subsequent readings of the play in various translations captured her interest, and further exploration of Sartre’s works changed her mind.
The first character to appear onstage is Joseph Garcin (Duncan Derry) who is shown in by the character of the Boy (Katharine Harrison). A brief conversation establishes the fact that residence in the room is permanent—like the Hotel California, you can check out, but you can never leave. Expecting to find a torture chamber, the Boy ominously reassures Garcin that his fear is misplaced; there will be no physical torture here.
Ines Serrano (Louisa Zhu) is next to enter the room. A contentious and aggressive character, she quickly finds her bearings. There is no questioning on her part about whether or not she deserves to be in hell—she knows that she has been cruel and regrets no part of it.
The final guest is Estelle Delaunay (Emma Burns), a vapid society lady completely lacking in self-awareness. Her first concern is that there is no mirror in the room and that she will never be able to ascertain that she has put her make-up on to her satisfaction.
The characters’ past sins are explored through conversations and their visions of what is happening on earth in their absence. Garcin is revealed to be an adulterer, having shown no sensitivity to his martyr of a wife by parading mistresses in front of her. He recounts bringing home a woman one night, and his wife rising early the next morning to cook them breakfast. His other vice is cowardice, as he was a collaborator during the Second World War and subsequently became a deserter. He was caught on the train to Geneva and executed for this crime. At turns cynical, comical, and outright lascivious, Derry’s performance stands out from what was already a solid cast.
Zhu gives a strong, fully-committed performance as the lesbian secretary Ines, who cajoles a wife into murdering her husband (who happens to be Ines’ cousin). Ines is the first to realize that the three characters in the room have been put together to torture each other. Exhibiting the most self-assurance of the three characters, she skilfully pits Garcin against the object of her affections—the insecure Estelle, who in turn seeks approval from Garcin. Garcin finds that even though he desires Estelle, it is Ines’ opinion that truly matters to him, and he believes that absolution can only come from convincing her that he is not a coward.
Estelle’s shallow and helpless affectations are done justice by Burns, who is able to convey the character’s self-serving—yet impassioned—coquetry well, despite a couple of verbal missteps. Estelle’s sin was cheating on her husband and then murdering the resulting illegitimate child, thus causing her lover to commit suicide. Repelled by Ines’ determined advances, she turns to Garcin as her protector.
Each character tries and fails to leave the room, yet it is only towards the end of the play that Garcin’s repeated entreaties succeed in opening the door. Despite each character expressing a desire to leave, none of them have the courage to do so. Estelle won’t leave without Garcin, who won’t leave without Ines’ approval, who in turn won’t leave until she succeeds in conquering Estelle. The door closes on its own, leaving the three characters together for eternity. “And so we continue…” says Garcin, closing the play with a melancholy resignation.
