‘The Real Thing’ keeps it real at Wells-Metz

There has never been, and probably never will be, a theatrical production with this much raw, gritty and heart-felt emotion. “The Real Thing,” which opened Friday in the Wells-Metz Theatre, lived up to its name. From the opening scene, the players grabbed the audience by the throat and refused to let go until the very last line.\n “The Real Thing,” written by Tom Stoppard, tells the tale of Henry, a thriving playwright played by graduate student Jeff Grafton, and his wife Charlotte, portrayed by junior Erin E. Ehlers. When a young actress and family friend named Annie, played by graduate student Lilia Vassileva, who is already married to Max, played by doctoral student Kyle Davis, enters the plot, the agonizing pain of love and infidelity begins to tear their lives apart.\n One of the clinchers of the show was the amazing sound and lighting effects. Throughout the show, an old record player was used and there was never a missed music cue. The transitional lighting between scenes, accompanied by wonderfully placed music, picked up and transported the audience directly into the setting.\n Despite the feeling of watching an episode of “Friends,” the witty and perfectly timed banter between Henry, Annie, Charlotte and Max kept the audience rolling with laughter. On the other hand, Ehlers’ and Davis’ dramatic acting gripped the audience with completely real, heartbreaking emotion.\n With a setting described in the program as “a place in the United Kingdom – mostly in London,” it was upsetting to hear some of the actors and actresses have their English accents fade in and out. This was not of major importance, but in a show performed at such a high caliber, with such great actors, the loss of accents was rather noticeable. \nVassileva’s performance as Annie was outstanding. Her range was simply spectacular, as was her personal charm that lured the audience into her story.\n This production was rather important for one of the actors: “The Real Thing” was Jeff Grafton’s thesis performance. From the very first moment the audience saw him, he was captivating. Everything about him, right down to the way he walked, was hilarious. That is not to say that he was a static comedic character. His breakdown and emotional lows brought members of the audience to tears. In simplest terms, his performance was as close to perfect as one actor may get.\n “The Real Thing” will continue to run at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 23-27 in the Wells-Metz Theatre. Tickets are $16 for adults and $13 for students and seniors. Student rush tickets are available the day of the performance for $10 with a valid student ID. Tickets are available at the IU Auditorium Box Office or through Ticketmaster. Visit www.theatre.indiana.edu for more information.