CONFESSIONS OF A FAILED PHD OR TIRESIAS UNBOUND

Suarez presents a philosophical play in the form of a conversation among friends.

In this “play of ideas,” a library assistant named Gene sits down in a backyard in Washington state. Gene has come armed with an iPad and two bottles of rosé for a hangout with his girlfriend from college, Katrina, along with some others. Gene hasn’t seen Katrina in 30 years; she is now married to a psychiatrist named Simon. Simon also sits in the backyard as the discussion touches on topics including the books of Barbara Johnson and the question of whether anyone has ever seen God face-to-face. Along with philosophy, Gene has autobiographical information to share, including stories from time in graduate school and an account of how his “damaged psyche” led him to spend time in a psychiatric facility. He explains his ongoing interest in BDSM despite his lack of a desire to “hurt or be hurt by anyone”; he also has a penchant for names and their meanings. (Gene explains to a hotel desk clerk whose last name is Alexander, “It means ‘defender of humankind.’”) Throughout the play, Gene occasionally talks to his younger brother, Matthew, who is present though none of the other characters can see him. From discussions of Foucault to the lyrics of the rapper Big Pun, the text moves quickly; with Gene’s extensive interests and easy access to Google, one can never guess where the conversation will move next. But as one might expect of a play of ideas, there is not a whole lot of action. There’s a bit of crying, but the work’s wordiness can prove dense (a portion summarizing a Dr. Who episode is no more intriguing than one might assume). Still, in the end, Gene has plenty of worthwhile insights to share.

A highly informative, albeit wordy, philosophical discussion that runs the gamut of topics.