Isaac's Eye Marks Another Hit for Fledgling Theater

Urbanite is the best thing to happen to the local theater scene in years, and the final production of their inaugural summer season, Lucas Hnath’s Isaac’s Eye, strikes a bold exclamation point on an edgy and provocative selection of plays that has boldly announced their arrival.

Hnath weaves history and fiction in an introspective and sometimes hilarious examination of two 17th century science rivals, Isaac Newton and Robert Hooke. Newton is an unknown, aspiring scientist, longing for admittance to the Royal Society, which Hooke, the premier scientist of the day, who had already discovered cells, looms over.

Hnath opens the play with the third wall broken, a narrator explaining the licensed blend of historical fact, folklore and utter fiction used to fill in the blanks on an important and interesting story, that is at best, incomplete, in terms of historic knowledge.

Hooke, who has been described as one of the greatest heels in human history, almost disappeared from history in part because of his feud with Newton, one of history's most revered figures.

Under the direction of Vincent Carlson-Brown, Robby May gives a dazzling performance as Hooke, an irascible and at times deplorable man who drips condescension toward all others. FSU/Asolo Conservatory grad Ben Williamson returns to the local stage with a very strong performance as the eccentric Newton.

Fellow Conservatory alum Kim Stephenson provides the balance between the larger than life characters as the shared love interest Catherine, while Tony Stopperan is the glue of the cast, playing both the narrator and a hapless dying man with rich poignancy.