Nocturne

A son is pushed beyond his limits by his father who wants him to be a great pianist. Then there is an accident in which his sister is killed. He leaves for New York where he becomes a novelist. Fifteen years later he returns home. ‘There’s a finality in fact, ’ says the narrator of Adam Rapp’s grief-laden monologue NOCTURNE, a stunning confrontation with truth that spares neither the character or the audience. The fact, simply stated, is this: ‘Fifteen years ago I killed my sister.’ So says a young man identified only as the Son, who accidentally decapitates his sibling in an auto accident and then attempts to come to terms with what he has done. This reconciliation forms the heart and soul of NOCTURNE, a startling, unnerving work of art that fiercely pushes the boundaries of theater. The play … is dense, almost novelistic, in its approach to a personal horror story. NOCTURNE … is also intensely lyrical, musical in its sounds and in its silences. Make no mistake. Rapp is an original - a distinctive voice unafraid to be too descriptive … -Michael Kuchwara, Associated Press Rapp uses subtle, sensuous, bold and funny language … So detailed and poetic is the writing … that we buy and are powerfully moved by the whole thing. -Donald Lyons, New York Post