NEW YORK— frequency hopping by Elyse Singer shines a light on an overlooked (and quite fascinating) story of World War II—how film star Hedy Lamarr (Erica Newhouse) came up with the idea for an anti-jamming device.
The plan was to use the invention to fool torpedoes fired by German U-boats, causing them to crash off-target. Working with noted composer George Antheil (Joseph Urla) on the process in Hollywood in 1940, Lamarr perfected the idea, got it patented, and offered it to the Armed Forces free of charge. But the idea was rejected, although the technology was later used during the Cold War era and served as the model for systems used in current cell phone technology.
There is a lot of dramatic material to work with here, from Lamarr's recollections of growing up in Germany and seeing the rise of Nazism, her escape from her homeland dressed in maid's attire, the obvious attraction between the oft-married Lamarr and the (supposedly) very married Antheil, to the obvious issue—that Lamarr's invention might have significantly changed the course of the war. While the play offers some tantalizing facts and possibilities, Ms. Singer, who also directed, tries to focus too much on the human drama rather than the historical angle and as a result, the play never really hits home.
Instead of getting right to the matter at hand (coming up with a weapon to defeat the Nazis), Lamarr and Antheil do a too-long dance around the subject, with each wondering if they can trust the other. (Lamarr is also fighting to be seen as something other than a sex object, while Antheil, who has gotten cynical during his time in Hollywood, wonders if he can care about anything anymore.) When they finally do decide to work together, the descriptions of what they are doing, while technically interesting, are conveyed through the use of graphics that seem better suited to a children's educational program than a theatrical performance. There's no doubt that the characters are quite passionate about this device. Unfortunately, that passion doesn't translate to the audience.
The show also suffers from an overabundance of technology. The play makes use of a 25-piece robotic orchestra (including eight synchronized player pianos), not to mention various 3D projections. Yet more often than not, the show seems to be using such apparatus simply because they can, not because it's needed.
On the plus side, Newhouse works very well as Lamarr, bringing forth the passion of a woman who's seen too much in her life and has had to grow up too fast. We also see her intense frustration as she struggles to be taken seriously in a man's world. When she was invited to testify in Washington about her invention, we get the feeling she was invited because she was Hedley Lamarr rather than the inventor of something potentially important.
Urla is okay as the cynical and morose Antheil, nicely conveying the passions of a man separated from his family, working in a climate (Hollywood) he hates and throwing himself into this project as a sort of saving grace for his soul and sanity. At the same time he has to fight his being overwhelmed by his feelings of the moment, and for Lamarr (who apparently reciprocates those feelings). The set by Elaine J. McCarthy is very good, effectively capturing the era of the piece, and the radio announcer, (voice of Bruce Kronenberg) provides a sort of wrap around for the play. However both Singer's script and her direction are rather unfocused with the play and actors spending too much time trying to find the central story.
McCarthy's multimedia effects, sound design by Marcelo Anez and robotics by LEMUR: The League of Musical Urban Robots, work well enough, but all are overused in the story. Costumes by Angela M. Kahler and lighting by Tyler Micoleau are nice.
frequency hopping
Presented by Hourglass Group
3LD Arts & Technology Center
80 Greenwich Street
Tickets: 212-352-3101 or www.frequencyhopping.net
Closes: June 29, 2008
Running time: Approximately 90 minutes
Judd Hollander is the New York correspondent for the London publication The Stage.
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