Erin Morgenstern’s beautifully written book The Night Circus is a mesmerizing read which forces the audience to question… everything. Set against the backdrop of a magical circus with the major theme of illusion contorting through the plot and characters, it forces one to look at reality in their own life. What is real? Is something real because someone says it is… or because you want it to be? Sometimes, they are one and the same… sometimes, they are not.
I think people are afraid of the truth: To dare to open the curtain and really pay attention to the man behind the curtain. To really see that it’s not the great and powerful Oz behind it, but just a little man.
Many of the greatest play monologues are about a loss of illusion. Someone believes something so strongly, so fiercely and then has a “wake up call” which shatters their reality. Because when the magic of the illusion fades away… and cold hard reality is staring you in the face… then you have no choice but to face the truth.
And truth’s a bitch.