By Jenny Sandman

Rafael De Mussa as Caligula (Photo: Richard Termine)

If you know the reputation and writings of Camus, it's easy to picture what a play by him is like. It's probably full of existential angst, with a lot of sturm und drang about the meaninglessness of life, the nonexistence of God, and the beauty of the random cruelty of the universe. And there you have Caligula in a nutshell. Rome's most infamously despotic emperor, written as (and by) a French existentialist.

Caligula, whose brief reign (37-41 AD) was characterized by his cruelty, perversion and extravagance, was widely believed to be insane. Camus, although he rejected the label of existentialist and was always surprised to see his name linked with Sartre's, is nevertheless widely associated with existentialism. Author of The Stranger and The Plague, among others, he wrote Caligula in 1938, before his first novel was published. The play wasn't performed until 1945.

In Camus' play, set in an unknown country in the 20th century, Caligula is crushed by the death of his sister (he was widely rumored to be sleeping with her). In his despair, he decides to systematically rid himself of all human emotion and morals, seeking "perfect freedom." Through murder, chaos and ritualized perversion, he becomes increasingly cruel and paranoid, finally orchestrating his own assassination by the nobles who were once loyal to him. Caligula thus becomes a nihilist, a modern antihero, a possible mouthpiece for Camus' own vision of the world.

Now, this sounds interesting, doesn't it? it is, but what we see at the Kirk Theater isn't. Inexplicably, Horizon Theatre Rep's production is flat and amateurish — characterized by declamatory gestures, slow timing, and blocking in straight lines, Last Supper-style, on either side of a very long dining table. Director Rafael de Mussa, who also plays Caligula, should know better than to divide his energies like that. His performance suffers for it. Though his acting and directorial instincts are correct, he seemed too distracted to really inhabit the character. The rest of the cast shares the same fate, never cohering as an ensemble and never seeming comfortable in their individual roles.

It doesn't help that David Greig's translation is dated and stiff. The small stage has room for the long table and that's about it. The actors seemed cramped and uncomfortable trying to work around it, leading to the already mentioned stiff blocking. Caligula's machinations —manipulating and killing of those around him, wreaking havoc in his court—, somehow seem silly in a small room. Horizon Theatre Rep's is to be commended for its intentions in staging Caligula in a conveniently located theater and at a very reasonable price. it's an intriguing play, with real philosophical backbone. Unfortunately, even the best intentions can fall flat, as they have here.

Caligula Written by Albert Camus and translated by David Greig Directed by Rafael de Mussa With Gustav Bodor, Jeff Campanella, Rafael de Mussa, Michael A. Fonteboa, Ben Gougeon, Israel Gutierrez, Quester D. Hannah, Tabetha Lorina-Baker, Romy Nordlinger, Chris Triana, Jordan Turchin, Miles Warner and Brandon Wood Set Design: Peter R. Feuchtwanger Lighting Design: Jeff Croiter Costume Design: Jennifer Nweke Sound Design: Barbara Vlahides Running Time: 2 hours with no intermission Horizon Theatre Rep at Theatre Row, 410 West 42nd Street; 212-279-4200 Tickets $18 Thursday through Saturday at 8 pm, Sunday at 3 pm; Monday December 22 and 29 at 8 pm; Tuesday December 23 and 30 at 8 pm; no performances December 25-28 December 4-30 Reviewed by Jenny Sandman based on December 7th performance

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