Whether the laughs were lost in translation or simply never there, “Fate of a Cockroach” is a disappointing production that struggles for both humor and meaning.
Tawfiq al-Hakim was a prolific Egyptian playwright well known in his home country, but this particular play is oddly constructed, a fault made worse by a stilted translation. “Fate of a Cockroach” is a confusing mash of genres.
Its three acts differ wildly in tone, from absurdist farce to philosophical drama. Under Leslie Joy Coleman’s direction, SouthWest Rural Theatre Project’s “Fate of a Cockroach” lacks
the energy and attention to detail to make the genres work. After two and a half hours, it makes for a frustrating night of theater.
The first act of “Fate of a Cockroach” is set in a “kingdom” of cockroaches. The royal roach court (king, queen, minister, priest, savant and subject) convene to deal with a crisis.
Their oppressive foes, the ants, have struck again and killed the minister‘s son. The first act seems to be intended as pure farce. But there isn’t enough of the word play, fast-paced plots, or physical comedy on which the comedic genre thrives.
Instead, the thinly-drawn characters argue for the better part of an hour while very little happens at all. Jokes are at a premium. There are flashes of physical comedy — certain characters have unique insect mannerisms — but these moments are far too sparse.
After the first act, the play changes gears entirely and the roach kingdom is left behind. We meet Adil and Samia, a human couple going through their morning rituals — waking up, getting ready for work, etc. It’s here that the play, written in 1966, shows its age.
Adil is a simple man stuck with his shrewish, domineering wife, Samia. Their “innocent man versus evil woman” routine resembles an outdated, misogynistic “I Love Lucy”-era sitcom.
Their morning is interrupted when Samia discovers a cockroach in the bathtub. Instead of killing it as she requests, Adil becomes obsessed with the cockroach’s plight. He watches, transfixed, as the bug repeatedly tries to climb out of the tub, only to fall down its steep porcelain walls. Adil not only sympathizes with the cockroach, but admires it for never quitting.
Acts 2 and 3 deal with the spiraling consequences of Adil’s obsession, as he puts his life on hold to find out if fate will have mercy on the cockroach. At this point, the play leaves behind farcical comedy, focusing on the existential dilemma instead. But the transition is never entirely convincing, and by the play’s end it seems rather meaningless.
Despite its various difficulties, “Fate of a Cockroach” has potential to be a gripping show. This production, however, never rises to the challenge. The translation itself is often stilted and odd, and the casting is uneven.
While some veteran actors visibly struggle to work with what they have, the less-experienced performers struggle simply to be heard. Line hiccups are noticeably frequent. Whether it was under-rehearsed or under-directed, the production doesn’t feel fully formed.
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The last 90 minutes center on Adil, but actor Kenneth Ruthardt is woefully miscast in the role. His consistently calm, monotone performance is ill-suited to both the farcical and philosophical sides of his character. Jennifer Sharp is entertainingly cruel as his wife Samia, yet she never strikes up the chemistry with Ruthardt necessary for their scenes to truly work.
