‘Circle Mirror’ offers deft reflection of inner pain

A circle doesn’t have a beginning, nor does it have an end.

CSN’s Department of Fine Arts’ hypnotic presentation of Annie Baker’s metaphorical Obie winner “Circle Mirror Transformation” is so wholly absorbing that you won’t want it to end. The intimate Backstage Theatre gives the feeling of audience as eavesdropper with a meditative, almost spiritual look into the lives of five wounded souls.

It’s summertime in the tiny town of Shirley, Vt., and an unlikely group of folks have gathered in the basement of a community center to take part in a six-week acting workshop. Rather than actual acting, though, it’s Theatre Games, like the counting game, which keeps its participants self-focused in the present, or explosion tag, which encourages active interaction and dramatic eruption from anyone tagged “it.”

Childlike play is exhilarating, and at first the class is all community-building, endorphin-releasing fun. But like the game the title takes its name from, it is also a cathartic way to delve deep into the psyche and unburden the mind, clearing it like a blank slate.

Baker uses role­-playing, having characters act out each others’ lives, to allow us to slowly get to know them. Layer by layer, details about their circumstances are revealed, and we come to understand the individual demons that block each from finding fulfillment.

Written in hyper-natural style, the dialogue is full of uncomfortable pauses and plenty of “Uh’s.” This can be difficult to pull off, and director Douglas Hill succeeds admirably with choreography that feels organic, subtle and with an easy build. And his actors function as a true ensemble that lives up to the play’s complex demands with an earthy chemistry.

Marty is at the center of the story being the leader of the class. A down-to-earth hippie, she is really a shaman who guides her students on a journey of self-discovery and in the process is painfully transformed herself. Vanessa Regalado gives the perfect zen to her wise old soul, gentle and mindful on the surface yet allowing peeks at the turmoil within. James is Marty’s husband, a charismatic intellectual who participates in the class for support.

Oscar Antonio Damasco is the ideal physical complement to Regalado, the yang to her yin. He presents a calm, world-weary guy who quietly reveals a secretive side but holds back some and is so quiet at times he is difficult to hear. He could use more commitment in his lines.

A carpenter by trade, Schultz is a dorky, clueless guy seeking a diversion from the pain of divorce. Actor Sega Shines revels in this awkwardness and verges on buffonery, his innocence providing much of the humor while also giving the flip side of a bitter, broken heart.

Theresa is the heartbreaker, an actress who escapes from the craziness of New York in an effort to connect with others.

The energetic Chimmie Hernandez creates a flirtatious gal with an infectious smile, eventually letting slip a manipulative aspect to her damaged personality.

Moody teenager Lauren yearns to be a real actress but also needs to get away from an unhappy home. The funny, quirky Alexa Josey is at turns obstinately wise and then childish, seeking both structure and reassurance to guide her as she grows both physically and emotionally.

The technical aspects are simple and earthy and provide a nice tableau for our bruised heroes to experience the pure pleasure of play, but also the pain of self-exploration. The idea of everything coming full circle is completely realized in this production. As Lauren so eloquently says, “... do you ever wonder how many times your life is gonna end?”