‘Freud’s Last Session’ promises free thinking and farts

The upcoming Riverwalk Theatre production “Freud’s Last Session” is a fictional meeting of two great thinkers, famed fantasy novelist C.S. Lewis and legendary psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud.

 From topics of love, sex, the existence of God, to the meaning of life, the heart of the debate is “Can one embrace religion while still embracing science?,” said Rob Roznowski, the director.

Set during WWII, Freud (Michael Hayes) is dying of mouth cancer and invites Lewis (Brian DeVries) to his London home. Freud hopes to find out how Lewis – who was raised religious and then became an atheist – converted back to Christianity while questioning his own beliefs in the process.

Roznowski describes the rehearsal process as “three dudes picking apart a play” which required the cast to ask and answer heady questions themselves.

 “It’s been really low key fun wrestling with these themes and questions,” says Roznowski. “What is it in us that we’re not able to believe? When did it happen in our lives? All of these discussions have been really fun to have and interesting to look at how the rational mind can also believe.”

For a play that is essentially a series of debates between two intellectuals, Roznowski and DeVries said this production is more than just high-brow commentary from two guys.

 “It’s hard to watch a debate and sometimes it is a pure transcript,” says Roznowski. “So what we did was break the show down into units of thought. These are two brilliant minds in a room. Who wins?”

The director also added a lot of stage movement, aka “blocking,” to increase the action.

“I blocked the shit out of this show,” says Roznowski. “Like literally there is no time, there’s like maybe five seconds where people sit down in two chairs and talk. I was like ‘go over there, get water.’ Literally, they are running around the stage like madmen.”

As far as the low-brow commentary, DeVries says “embarrassing” bodily functions such as flatulence and vomiting play a role in the show in a way that grounds their heady discussions. What exactly? The actor said synchronized farting is not as far off as you would think.

Ultimately, DeVries says this show is about two very different people finding the humanity in each other.

“An important underlying element is how two people, with diametrically opposed worldviews, still find a great deal of common ground,” says DeVries. “We fight pretty viciously at times.”

At times, the debates can escalate and exchanges between the two brains get vicious. In the end, Louis and Freud are both confronted with the present moment and the stakes of life and death.

“I don’t think it’s going to change anybody’s mind about philosophical debates,” says DeVries. “But it may remind us of the power of transcending debate and seeking connection first.”

“Freud’s Last Session”

Riverwalk Theatre/Community Circle Players

Thursday, May 9-12, Thursday, May 16-19

Black Box Theatre

228 Museum Dr. Lansing, MI

(517) 482-5700

Tickets and showtimes available at riverwalktheatre.com