‘Here in the Dark: A Novel’ by Alexis Soloski. Flatiron Books, 256 pages, $27.99
The adage “write what you know” is most apt for Alexis Soloski, making her novel debut with “Here in the Dark” about a New York City “junior” theater critic who loves everything about theater, from walking in the theater, the “ritual” of finding your seat and being handed the Playbill, being caught up in the darkness as you watch the production. Soloski knows that world well as a theater critic and culture reporter for the New York Times.
Vivian Parry works for a Manhattan magazine, loves theater and values her time. But she doesn’t like most of what she sees and has earned a reputation for critiques that stop just short of vicious. Her job allows her to become involved with a different play each night, giving herself permission to avoid interacting with most people. At one time, Vivian had wanted to be an actress but suffered a breakdown after her mother died. She’s found it safer to be on the other side of the stage, a notebook and pen as her shield.
Reluctantly, she agrees to be interviewed by graduate student David Adler, whose thesis is on what motivates critics. He promises her a spot on a panel he’s putting together for a high-profile conference that Vivian believes will help her career and her application for a promotion. Shortly after their interview, David disappears. Then Vivian learns that no such panel existed, and that no one seems to know a David Adler. Vivian needs to know just who this mystery David is and how could she have misjudged him. After all, passing judgment on others is what she does.
Soloski shapes Vivian with a self-destructive nature, a person whose quest to find herself is more difficult than exposing the inner truth of theatrical productions. While readers may want to figuratively take Vivian by the shoulders, forcing her to get a grip on herself, Vivian is never dull, and her intelligence elevates “Here in the Dark.”
Films and literature have delighted in featuring nasty-as-they-want-to-be critics such as that “venomous fishwife” Addison DeWitt from “All About Eve” or Waldo Lydecker, who gleefully said in “Laura” that he didn’t use a pen but wrote “with a goose quill dipped in venom.”
Vivian isn’t that mean, but she has a good amount of acid in her writing.
“Here in the Dark” moves briskly as Soloski nicely incorporates character development in the plot that accelerates into the noir. Theatergoers especially will enjoy Vivian’s references to classic and modern plays, wishing they could have seen that production of “Mother Courage” but likely glad to be spared the “Old Yeller” musical (fortunately fictional!) that she calls “rabies ballet.”
