The Fever Syndrome

Estranged adult half-siblings Dot, Thomas, and Anthony return home to attend a career celebration of their domineering father, Dr. Richard Myers, a once-formidable IVF pioneer whose physical deterioration from Parkinson’s disease is a catalyst for old family dramas, discords, and dysfunctions. Joined in uncomfortable solidarity by their respective families—Dot’s husband, Nate, and fever-prone daughter Lily; Thomas’s partner, Philip; Richard’s third wife, Megan—the Myers repeatedly confront one another over grievances past and present, all while attempting to conceal their personal failures and frailties. A full cast performs this play. Hugo Armstrong, as the Lear-like Richard, dazzlingly captures the tragedy of incurable illness and the magnificence of scientific achievement in his explosive rants. Unfortunately, as the family collapses under the weight of their collective disorders, listeners might feel their own confusion growing. Nevertheless, playwright Zegerman (Lucky Seven) ultimately provides a fascinating portrait of a household trapped in a perpetual cycle of sickness and wellness, with symptoms that inspire greatness, even as they inevitably end in tragedy.