‘No Exit’ by Jean-Paul Sarte. Directed by Charlie Lunardi. Stage Management from Jack Henry Yeatman. Scenic Design by Jayoung Hong. Sound Design by Z Toto. Lighting Design by Alyssa Gonzalez. Prop Design by Melinda Kalanzis. Costume Design by Gaby Obando. Deadword Theatre Company’s ‘No Exit’ runs from January 20th – 21st and January 27th – 28th at the Rockwell Theatre, 225 Elm Street, Somerville MA 02114. 

By Charlotte Snow 

“Hell is other people,” Garcin cries to heaven and earth in Jean-Paul Sartre’s No Exit. Even if you disagree with the statement, Deadword Theatre Company offers a strong argument to sway any nonbelievers that humans are designed to be fundamentally disconnected from each other. Every itch, every fidget, every unnerving little gesture is felt throughout this production’s run time, and it’s perfectly agonizing − in the best possible way.  

No Exit follows a triad of protagonists: Garcin, the disgraced journalist, Estelle, the vain socialite, and Inez, the antagonizing post-office clerk. Led by a mysterious nameless Valet, each of them is dumped into a small room featuring only sofas, no beds, no mirrors, and − of course – no exit. As they attempt to expose each other’s wrongdoings and personality flaws, they quickly come to realize that they are in Hell and meant to serve as each other’s torturers.  

Jean-Paul Sartre’s macabre masterpiece was met with praise and celebration when it first debuted in 1944. His ability to weave in his classic existentialist ideas with high-concept drama was as unique as it was successful. The concept of the greatest evil imaginable being the wrong deeds of other humans hit especially hard during the final stretches of World War II. I can only imagine that in his home country, this piece felt especially biting due to France being occupied by the Nazis for four years. Since its inception, No Exit has continued to be a staple of community and regional theater seasons due to its universality and inventiveness.  

As the audience enters the Rockwell theatre, they are greeted by Jayoung Hong’s slick set design, which menacingly merges the sensibilities of the Second Empire with modern monochromatism as moody jazz music eerily plays in the distance. Z Toto’s sound design, Alyssa Gonzalez’s lighting design, Gaby Obando’s costumes, and Melinda Kalanzis’ prop design beautifully meld together to create the unspoken secret 5th character of the play, Hell. The atmosphere is inviting but not kind, not quite cramped but certainly not cozy, and timeless in the sense that nothing is particularly old, new, or modern. 

Directing a play where none of the central characters leave the stage is no small task, but Charlie Lunardi boldly rises to the occasion. Each move the characters take feels fully motivated, and while there are moments of stillness, there’s never a sense of unintentional stagnation. Moments of comedy, sorrow, lust, and rage follow each other in quick succession, highlighting the circumstances of unrest. The play describes itself as a lifetime without being able to blink, and while this uncomfortable tension often arises, there are a few too many moments where that “unable to blink” energy drops, lags, or meanders. Most of the play is pedal to the metal; however, when the characters really get after each other, the energy of the audience leaning forward in their seats was palpable and electric.  

This play lives and dies on the cast’s chemistry. While there were slight moments when they did not fully connect with each other, the trio achieved the play’s objectives: three opposite characters who push and pull each other away. Landon Butler as Garcin shines when he is at his most venomous and insecure, no longer hiding behind a thinly veiled mask of nicety. Grace Lenore as Estelle and Sandy Clancy as Inez truly inhabited their characters and their many qualms and struggles with ease. Frank Schuth, as Valet, plays a small part but is a devilishly comedic, stoic juxtaposition to these three characters, who are slowly losing themselves to their own minds.  

While there are a few bumps in the show, and I personally yearn for a No Exit with a more contemporary setting, this production is a hellishly good time. Deadword Theatre Company is a group I follow closely, and I am delighted to say that this is their strongest theatrical offering to date. Due to the short runtime and limited seating in the Rockwell, I encourage you to sprint, not run, to get your tickets – or else there will be Hell to pay. For more information and tickets, go to: https://therockwell.org/