If ever a play was designed to challenge a director, it would have to be Caryl Churchill's Cloud 9. The play is in two acts, with the first taking place in a British colony in Africa during Victorian times, and the second unfolding 100 years later in London. Only problem is, several of the characters from Act One are back in Act Two — but they've only aged 25 years. Other oddities: In Act One, the main female character is played by a man, her black servant is played by a white actor, her son is played by a woman, and her daughter is played by a dummy. In Act Two, a five-year-old girl is played by an adult male. Confused yet? Well, director Corley handled all these paradoxes so crisply there was no confusion, just a lot of good fun and all the intellectual resonance — about gender, sexuality and race — that playwright Churchill surely intended. Thanks to director Corley, this was ensemble acting at its best: precise, fluid and wonderfully efficient. Nice job!
This article appears in Sep 25 – Oct 1, 2003.