The world premiere of Freud on Cocaine is presented by the Whitefire Theatre. Written and directed by Howard Skora.
Scarface, get out of the way, here comes Freud! Most people associate Sigmund Freud with psychoanalysis, but not everyone knows about his little dirty secret: His addiction to cocaine. Howard Skora exposes without reservation some of the most shocking details about Freud’s use of cocaine and the consequences on his professional practice and private life.
Sigmund Freud (Jonathan Slavin, Home Front) falls in love with Martha Bernays (Sara Maraffino), but he is broke and Martha’s mother (Sigute Miller) does not approve of him, “he’s not a doctor doctor” she tells Martha. Against all odds, Freud and Martha get married, and like in all great stories, addiction becomes a bond too strong to resist. Soon, Martha and even her mom start using cocaine. Depression? Hysteria? Pain? Addiction to other drugs? No problem, cocaine cures it all.
Freud saw cocaine as a panacea to treat and cure different ailments. When his patient Emma Eckstein (Amy Smallman–Winston) tells him about her hysteria and her proclivity to flying solo, Freud thinks there’s a nasogenital connection and starts prescribing cocaine, getting her hooked to the Devil’s dandruff. Even for his best friend Ernst von Fleischl-Marxow (Aaron LaPlante), Freud has some cocaine to spare to help him cope with pain and his addiction to morphine.
Of course, Freud needed a supplier for his extensive use of cocaine. And what a better drug dealer than Emmanuel Merck (Barry Brisco) from Merck Pharmaceuticals. In exchange of hyping the miraculous benefits of cocaine, Merck provided an endless supply of the powder to Freud. More product, more prescriptions to his patients. And more product available for personal use. But as usual, too much of a good thing it’s just an illusion.
Skora exposes the life of a man who became hugely successful in his profession, but whose relentless motivation to prove his worth lead him to sacrifice his personal life. Freud on Cocaine is a fabric of different textures. It shows the power of love, the effects on guilt, the continuous search of empirical and scientific evidence, but at the end of the day, it shows that Freud was a human being with virtues and shortcomings, just like everyone else. But the main strength of this play is the superb dialogue. It’s an endless stream of comedy from beginning to end. Instead of treating the subject matter as a sea of tears and sorrows, Skora uses his characters as conduits to deliver some of the funniest lines in the contemporary theatre scene. As sinister as it might sound, drugs and comedy relate pretty well with the audience. Personal experiences? Maybe. Make sure you don’t miss this gem. You won’t regret.
Freud on Cocaine
Whitefire Theatre
13500 Ventura Blvd.
Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
Sept. 8 – Nov. 4
• Friday at 8 p.m.: Sept. 8 ONLY (opening night)
• Saturdays at 8 p.m.: Sept. 23; Sept. 30; Oct. 7; Oct. 14; Oct. 28; Nov. 4 (dark Oct. 21)
Tickets: whitefiretheatre.com
Written and Directed by Howard Skora. Starring Jonathan Slavin, Barry Brisco, Aaron LaPlante, Mitch Rosander, Sara Maraffino, Sigute Miller, Amy Smallman–Winston. Presented by the Whitefire Theatre, Bryan Rasmussen, producing artistic director. Creative team: Scenic designer Dusti Cunningham, costume designer Michael Mullen, and video designer John Knowles.
