THE STORY: PRIVATE EYES is a comedy of suspicion in which nothing is ever quite what it seems. Matthew’s wife, Lisa, is having an affair with Adrian, a British theatre director. Or perhaps the affair is part of the play being rehearsed. Or perhaps Matthew has imagined all of it simply to have something to report to Frank, his therapist. And, finally, there is Cory—the mysterious woman who seems to shadow the others—who brings the story to its surprising conclusion. Or does she? The audience itself plays the role of detective in this hilarious “relationship thriller” about love, lust and the power of deception.
“Steven Dietz’s…Pirandellian smooch to the mercurial nature of theatrical illusion and romantic truth, Dietz’s spiraling structure and breathless pacing provide enough of an oxygen rush to revive any moribund audience member…Dietz’s mastery of playmaking…is cause for kudos.” —Village Voice.
“The cleverest and most artful piece presented at the 21st annual [Humana] festival was PRIVATE EYES by writer-director Steven Dietz…Dietz has created a romantic comedy in which what’s real inevitably turns out to be an illusion. It’s a play within a play within a play within a play within a psychiatrist’s office—a Chinese box full of tricks and surprises.” —Chicago Tribune.
