Paris-based writer and director Peter Brook likes turning texts on their heads to see what comes out. Many times the results are brilliant: after all, Mr. Brook was the director who put Royal Shakespeare Company actors on trapezes for a famous production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream." The "turning on its head" metaphor seems particularly apt for "A Man Who," a play that Mr. Brook co-authored with Marie-Hélène Estienne, because the source material comes from The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, a book of case studies of brain disorders and diseases by neurologist Oliver Sacks.

In the hands of four expert actors and a musician, these case studies spring to theatrical life at the New Village Arts Theatre in Carlsbad. Under Kristianne Kurner's steady and sensitive direction, what might have been a tough slog of an evening becomes 90 minutes of drama you won't soon forget.

Ron Choularton

Photo Credit: Daren Scott

Each of the actors (Ron Choularton, Sandra Ellis-Troy, Manny Fernandes, and Walter Murray) portrays both doctors and patients. The patients are dressed plainly and in muted colors (Amanda Sitton designed the costumes). The doctors designate themselves by putting on lab coats over their street clothes. The patients are seen in doctor's offices, in research facilities, therapy rooms, and hospital beds (Tim Wallace did the effective scenic design, while Bonnie Durben designed the well-chosen properties; Jason Bieber created wonderful effects with just a few lighting instruments). The doctors mostly listen, though they occasionally provide information, feedback, or commentary. The cases tell us little about the patients' backgrounds, how their conditions were acquired or developed, what is being done to treat them, and how they are progressing. Rather, they provide a slice of time where we see how a variety of neurological problems manifest themselves and how each affects the patient's emotions and behavior. The drama comes not from medical heroics or the sob stories of victims but from genuine attempts to cope.

All of the actors performed admirably, and each audience member will identify more with some cases than with others. Two that stood out for me were Mr. Coularton's depiction of a man attempting to control his Tourette Syndrome symptoms and Mr. Fernandes' portrayal of a man whose conversational tonal patterns belied the nonsense words that peppered his speech.

Perhaps the star of the production, however, is Scott Paulson. Mr. Paulson is credited with sound design and composing an original score, but he is also listed as one of the performers and rightly so. In his sound lab, on one side of the stage, Mr. Paulson worked with the text and actors to provide sounds ranging from noises to beautiful music (including, at several points, live instrumental solos). His beautifully integrated "soundscape" worked with the actors' craft to keep the cases from going dry.

Now, I have to admit that I love provocative shows that are thoughtfully directed, sensitively acted, and minimally but effectively designed. This production boasts all of those qualities, and I did, indeed, love it. But, I also know that this sort of theatre is not everyone's cup of tea or glass of cabernet. If you're looking for a fun evening out that will entertain but not challenge, there are some fine shows of that type on our local boards right now. If you're up for a memorable theatrical experience, however, I recommend hightailing it to the New Village Arts Theatre in Carlsbad by February 28.

WATCH A PREVIEW OF "THE MAN WHO" HERE

DOWNLOAD CAST AND CREDITS HERE