Hypnotherapy, past lives, and metaphysical repartee are at the heart of Transference, Jim Blanchette’s dark comedy which just closed at the 2019 Hollywood Fringe Festival. The unexpected mixture makes for a unique theatre experience, one with a surprise popping up every few minutes. Esther Mira plays Dr. Herbert, a psychiatrist doing her best to keep her cool and deal professionally with Mrs. Clark (Lisa K. Wyatt), an uptight, stressed-out woman who keeps accusing the shrink of failing to help her. Against her better judgment, Dr. Herbert accedes to her patient’s demand that she try hypnotherapy with her. The result is both shocking and hilarious: Mrs. Clark becomes another, much-different person, a sexpot who swears that in a past life she and the doctor were lovers. To explain further here would be to give too much away; suffice to say that the twisted, bizarre nature of their relationship morphs into something upbeat and romantic, a kind of love story. Navigating all the abrupt changes in character was surely a challenge for the actors, but they rose to the occasion and by dint of their gutsy, highly polished performances made sitting through Transference a rewarding experience.
