The Last of the Freudians

The reading of The Last of the Freudians will be in person at the American Theatre of Actors (ATA), 314 W 54th St, New York, NY 10019, September 6, 2022 for the reading at 6pm.  Written by Joseph Krawczyk and directed by Eddie Lew. 

LOCATION: American Theatre of Actors, Beckmann Theater.  Located on the 2nd floor.  Turn left after getting off the elevator and go down the hall.

SYNOPSIS BY AUTHOR:  Emotionally constrained, a Manhattan psychiatrist refuses to leave his room and return to his teaching position at a local university or to his therapeutic practice. His wife, friend and lover intercede on his behalf to help him move forward. Throughout the play, he has a recurring dream in which a shadowy figure comes to life to murder him. We find later that the figure is his deceased son, who has committed suicide five years ago, but in the dream the figure is disguised as his friend. An apologist for psychoanalysis, the protagonist brings Sigmund Freud, his hero and consular, to life as a guide to help free him from his paralysis. At certain moments in the play, Freud addresses the audience, commenting on the main character’s inability to see why he’s trapped by an impasse of his own making. The characters do everything to get him out of his apartment, even tricking him into believing he has won a Nobel Prize for his life’s work on Freud, which will force him to attend the ceremonies in Sweden. Even that isn’t enough to end his desire to remain in his apartment. Eventually, he breaks through his own internal barrier and resolves his feelings for his deceased son. He is free to move on. Now, at the end of the play, it’s his wife’s turn to go through a similar experience of freeing herself from the bonds of grief and guilt, leading to closure from the painful experience of her son’s loss. Acting as a guide, her husband will function as a Freud-like figure for her.

CRITIC Cheryl Bear writes: “ A fascinating psychological exploration of paralysis and the dream that haunts. Will Freud be able to free him? A revealing look at the bonds of grief and guilt. Excellent. ”  

FREE TO ALL.