Tag Archives: Off-Broadway

Dead Dog Park

Off-Broadway, Play, Uncategorized February 23, 2016 Leave a comment

Dead Dog Park opens moments after a black 13-year-old has tumbled from a fourth floor window.  Did he fall as the white police officer who was with him suggests?  Or was he pushed as the youth’s mother and others suspect?  This critical question is examined over the course of the next 70 minutes with dramatic and traumatic results.

During this time, we as audience members have multiple opportunities to weigh our own prejudices.  Is one life ever more worthy than another?  And if so, what tips the scales for each of us?  As with the many true life cases we have seen in recent headlines, no matter what happens there are no real winners.  A boy will still be critically injured, a hard-working policeman’s life will remain in ruins and two families will never be the same.

Barry Malawaer’s script keeps the storyline tight.  Tom O’Keefe imbues policeman Rob McDonald with a powerful range of emotion that fittingly never settles for too long.  As the boy’s mother, Eboni Flowers strongly plays both offense and defense in equal measure.  Lawyer John Jones is given a quick tongue and worldly wisdom by Ryan Quinn.  The weak link is Susannah Millionzi as McDonald’s wife Angela, though it’s hard to say whether the role or the actress is at fault.

BEDLAM productions, which brings this work to 59E59, specializes in the utilization of raw, flexible space.  Director Eric Tucker nods to the black box by having his cast occupy the stage simultaneously with different players defining the scene as the precinct, the policemen’s home, a lawyer’s office and a court room. While artistically interesting, this technique often forced the actors to be positioned at odd angles to one another. Without the proper eye contact, they didn’t appear to be listening to one another and therefore couldn’t react as deeply as I felt was necessary.

This is the second play about racism that I have seen in a short span.  Here this theme is spoken of less directly than in Smart People.  In many ways that makes this piece more honest and powerful since the subject tends to be more of a subtle undercurrent in our daily encounters.  If you appreciate having your own standards on the subject tested, spend some time in Dead Dog Park.

Dead Dog Park is presented in association with BEDLAM at 59E59 Street Theaters through March 6.  Visit http://www.59e59.org/moreinfo.php?showid=232 for tickets and information.

Smart People

Off-Broadway, Play, Uncategorized February 8, 2016 Leave a comment

All I really want to say about Lydia R. Diamond’s Smart People is that it lives up to its title in every possible respect.  That one sentence would tell you everything you need to know in order to decide whether it’s for you without risking the possibility of my spoiling a single moment of your experience.  But for those of you who require a lengthier review, here is a little more detail.

A fascinating and compelling piece about race, the action is set around Harvard University in 2008.  Perspective on this always hot topic is provided by a white professor, an Asian psychologist, and two African Americans: a doctor and an actress.  It would be easy to draw on stereotypes, but Ms. Diamond doesn’t fall into that trap.  The foursome is keenly aware of the role race is playing in their lives even while they strive to lead color-blind lives.  Using the period leading up to Obama’s first election adds an interesting twist.  From the vantage point of 2016, we know that America was ready to elect a black president.  But we also must acknowledge that amazing step did not erase racism from our culture; Ferguson, Flint and fluffy white Oscars happened anyway.

I was initially drawn to this production because of the cast: Mahershala Ali (House of Cards), Joshua Jackson (The Affair, Fringe and, yes, Pacey from Dawson’s Creek), Anne Son (My Generation) and Tessa Thompson (Dear White People, Creed).  They are all in top form, giving variation, humor and dramatic timing to the dialogue-heavy script.  All are tasked at key moments to deliver emotional scenes with an unseen partner and all are more than up to the challenge.  But they are even better when working together.  Their chemistry grew throughout the performance and I greatly enjoyed being in their company.  Extra praise should be given to Mr. Jackson who had to accomplish all of this while being hit with the occasional distracting “woo-hoo” from the audience.

Credit for the flow must be shared with the production team.  Kenny Leon – who previously collaborated with Ms. Diamond on Stick Fly – taps into the glimpses of each backstory and gives his characters wonderful nuance and texture.  Scenic Designer Riccardo Hernandez uses Zachary G. Borovay’s projections and simple modular pieces to move us rapidly from one location to the next.  And Zane Mark adds some atmospheric spice with his original music.

Smart People is playing at the Second Stage’s midtown venue (which is suitably staffed with smart people.)  The limited engagement must end March 6, 2016.  For tickets and information visit http://2st.com/shows/current-production/smart-people.

H2O

Off-Broadway, Play, Uncategorized December 1, 2015 Leave a comment

A common topic of interest between the two creative organizations to which I belong — the Directors Guild of America and the Drama Desk — is today’s curious intersection of Hollywood and Broadway.  Like many others, I question whether this exchange has helped or hindered the craft of theater.   So I was greatly intrigued by the premise of Jane Martin’s H2O, in which a franchise celebrity is given the opportunity to perform Hamlet on Broadway with the selection of his Ophelia made part of his package.

Our leading man is a troubled soul named Jake, who stumbled into the role of cash cow “Dawnwalker” and has been feeling like a fraud ever since.  So empty does he find his success, that when we first meet him in the opening moments of this drama, he is in the process of slitting his wrists.  His suicide attempt is thwarted by the timely entrance of Ophelia hopeful Deborah, an Evangelical Christian who believes Jesus commands her to do His work by performing Shakespeare.

For the next 80 minutes these two collide and blend.  As brought to life by Alex Podulke and Diane Mair, they are by turns heartbreaking and funny.  Mr. Poldulke turns in the more powerful performance, in large part because he has a stronger backstory to draw from.  Ms. Mair has some trouble bringing about the delicate balance of vulnerability and strength her character requires, especially since she has to literally strip in front of the audience multiple times.

West Hyler’s direction is fast-moving and effective.  A doorway, table and trap door serve as most of the minimal ever-changing set.  None of the staging would be possible without the hard work of the fleet-footed “Essentials”: Anna Schovaers, Colin Wulff, Annie Winneg, Charlie Munn and Jacob Waldron.  Ninja-like in black, they dress actors, move set pieces, and whisk items from sight in support of the story.

With such a fascinating premise and so much talent, I wish that H2O had more to say.  There is something oddly unsatisfying about the conclusion.  Nevertheless, for those interested in conversations about faith, fate, luck, merit, and the possibility of salvation, there is enough here to be worthy of your time.

H2O, Presented by Ground Up Productions, is playing at 59E59 Street Theaters through December 13.  For tickets and information visit http://www.59e59.org/moreinfo.php?showid=226.

John

Off-Broadway, Play, Uncategorized August 24, 2015 Leave a comment

“What do you call an intense drama that makes you laugh your butt off?” asked my friend at intermission during John.  I didn’t know, preferring to reserve “dramedy” for anything on the television fall schedule that will have trouble securing sponsorship.  Whatever the proper term, it is a form at which Annie Baker excels.  With her pieces, it’s always hard to say whether it’s the genuine laughs or the piercing insights which will linger.

Director Sam Gold, a frequent Baker collaborator, knows how to bring out the best in the material.  Contrast is explored from the moment Georgia Engel, in character as Mertis Katherine “Kitty” Graven, pulls back the curtain.  The set by Mimi Lien is a beautifully detailed bed and breakfast filled to the brim with tchotchkes and then pushed over the top by holiday decorations.  In a flash, we know so much about our quirky hostess and her driving desire to create a home away from home.  There is something familiar about the scene that is both comforting and disturbing.

Kitty’s latest guests are a young couple whose relationship is bumping against the rocks.  Christopher Abbott plays Elias Schreiber-Hoffman like a beaten-down Seth Rogan.  Hong Chau manifests his girlfriend, Jenny Chung, a bundle of odd body language who can’t stop seeing herself through the eyes of others.  Again, we experience duality, as their arguments plant one foot in “I’ve been there” and the other in “whoa!”.  The cast is rounded out by the reliable Lois Smith.  Her performance made me want to read earlier drafts to see whether there was a time in which her character was more than a metaphor.

Possibly building on the Pinter Pause, there is the Baker Beat.  Many simple actions in John are played out in real time.  When a bowl of cereal is poured, rather than the theater convention of a bite or two, it takes ten minutes to consume.  This storytelling technique is divisive.  While some of us stepped into those moments the way you do when a presenter begins using hushed tones, others squirmed and a few vacated their seats.  With tickets at $25 a pop, John presents a wonderful opportunity to explore this Pulitzer Prize winner’s work for yourself.

John is playing at the Signature Theater through September 6, 2015.  For tickets and information, visit http://www.signaturetheatre.org/tickets/production.aspx?pid=4241.

Women Are Crazy Because Men Are A**holes

Off-Broadway, Play, Uncategorized June 14, 2015 Leave a comment

Women Are Crazy Because Men Are A**holes has opened for ten days at The Cherry Lane, hoping for a longer New York stay after successful runs in Los Angeles and Chicago.  Recognizing that this well-trod material is better appreciated through shared experience, the producers wisely filled seats by offering discount tickets to active off-Broadway viewers.  Being nestled in a packed house turns what might otherwise be a forgettable show into a time of wicked laughter and knowing head-bobs.

The action begins with five young couples gathering for a brunch.  It is a celebration of the first face-to-face meeting between Nicole and Dylan, who have been courting on the internet.  While theirs may be the newest romance, there is plenty of awkwardness, codependency, and manipulation to go around.  Phoenix and Tim have just broken up, Mandy and Benny have just gotten back together, and Bella and Blake are in very different stages of life.

The banter is mostly realistic, likely because the events were inspired by writer/director Brad T. Gottfred’s own experiences with a girlfriend who — in his own words — brought out the asshole in him.   Much of the dialogue is witty and delivered at a brisk pace.  However, as in many relationships, the conversations are often circular.  This is particularly true of Hillary and Tim, who have the same unproductive argument for the entire play, never making it to the brunch as a result.  I avoid such people in real life and didn’t enjoy being exposed to them in my off-hours.  Judging from the fact that none of the characters express any concern for bickerer’s absence after the first five minutes, their friends don’t enjoy being around them much either.

Most of the ensemble — Mandy Henderson, JJ Nolan, Devlin Borra, Blake Boyd, Baxter Defy, and Tunisia Hardison — have been with the show since inception.  (Ms. Henderson, Mr. Boyd, and Ms. Nolan also serve as co-producers.) The remaining actors — Christine Donlon, Nikki McKenzie, Justin Sintic and John Weselcouch — joined two years ago.  This gives the entire cast a sense of ease with one another that provides depth and spontaneity to the somewhat predictable script.  To my no-longer-30-years-old ears, some of the dialogue was delivered in hard-to-interpret screeches, but generally the interaction had the right level of exuberance.  Gottfred’s staging is clever and makes use of every nook and cranny of the small theater.  This enables the focus to move swiftly among couples and lets them easily play off of one another’s exchanges.

Despite many uncomfortable moments for the characters, it all adds up to silly fun for spectators.  Best of all, as someone who supports keeping theater relevant and accessible to everyone, I was pleased to see so many younger people in the audience.  I have no doubt the irreverent title got them there.  I believe word of mouth will continue to bring them through the door.  If you’d like to be among their number, visit http://bleepingcrazy.com for tickets and information.

The Spoils

Off-Broadway, Play, Uncategorized June 9, 2015 Leave a comment

What if your best friend from third grade never stopped acting like an eight year old?  That is the dilemma faced by those closest to Ben, the central character of The Spoils.  As written and performed by playwright/actor Jesse Eisenberg, Ben can certainly be witty, but he is also cruel, directionless, and socially retarded.  It’s hard to imagine that these sweet people don’t have anything better to do with their time than hang out in this jerk’s apartment.

Therein lies the problem with this entire effort.  For a drawn-out 140 minutes we witness two relatively healthy couples — who clearly have enough on their plates — trying to help Ben get his life together and treat them with a modicum of respect. Puns are punned, recollections are recalled and banter is banted, all with a side of Nepalese beer.  Much of it is clever, but none of it leads to anything resembling a satisfying conclusion.

Eisenberg portrays the lead with much of the same disconnection and twitchiness that worked so well in The Social Network.  His oddness is magnified by Scott Elliott’s uneasy direction.  (Perhaps Mr. Elliott had some bizarre classmates when he was young and drew on these memories when he devised Ben’s peculiar physical conduct.)  The supporting cast (Erin Darke, Kunal Nayyar, Allapurna Sriram and Michael Zegen) all deliver their lines with appropriate zing.  Nayyar is particularly touching in the nearly-impossible role of Ben’s best friend, Kalyan.

Mr. Eisenberg is bright and talented.  It’s hard to believe he doesn’t have six other better scripts on his nightstand and superior writing examples on his hard drive.  Why he would chose to send eight weeks embodying a guy whose most cherished memory revolves around getting defecated on is my second unanswered question associated with this production.

The Spoils, presented by The New Group, is playing at the Pershing Square Signature Center through June 28, 2015.  For tickets and information, visit http://www.thenewgroup.org/the-spoils.html.

What I Did Last Summer

Off-Broadway, Play, Uncategorized May 16, 2015 Comments: 2

One of my goals for this blog is to introduce readers to theaters with reasonable ticket prices.  I have already mentioned the $20 seats at the Claire Tow and also recommend Theater C at 59E59 to those who don’t mind open seating.  A third incredible bargain is The Signature, which has secured enough funding to sell $25 tickets for every seat for every performance.  They also have a valuable residency program, which gives selected playwrights five years to create and produce new works as well as develop old ones.  It’s a terrific opportunity for participants to fully explore and expand their work.

This season, the Signature is featuring A.R. Gurney, best known for Love Letters, The Cocktail Hour, and Sylvia.  The current encore production, What I Did Last Summer, contains Gurney’s typical blend of lighthearted humor with a dash of poignancy.  It primarily follows the activities of teenager Charlie who is spending a few months at Lake Erie near the end of World War II.  His time and attention are divided between his Mother – who wishes him to study Latin – and free spirit Anna Trumbull – who believes he should explore his own creativity through art and play.

Having attended a very progressive school, I found the general discussion of book-learning versus life-learning an intriguing one and Gurney’s observations reasonable and well-argued.  The framework is very self-aware, with much of the action emphasized by having an unseen hand type key words of the dialogue and stage directions on the blank page that makes up the bulk of Michael Yeargan’s set.  All the characters directly address the audience and take every opportunity to make the story about themselves.  This highlights the playful side of the piece even when the action takes a more serious turn.

The cast is uniformly good, with a standout performance by Kristine Nielsen as Anna.  Noah Galvin’s Charlie makes a charming yet slightly bratty host and guide.  The ensemble’s high-energy is skillfully staged by Jim Simpson and backed by percussion provided live on stage by Dan Weiner.  The end results are enjoyable if slightly hazy, rather like summer vacation itself.

What I Did Last Summer is playing at The Pershing Square Signature Theater through June 7.  For tickets and information, visit http://www.signaturetheatre.org/tickets/production.aspx?pid=3776

Placebo

Off-Broadway, Play, Uncategorized April 3, 2015 Leave a comment

It took me over twelve hours to work out precisely how the various plot threads in Placebo were related.  Judging from the conversations in the ladies room — where much constructive criticism takes place — I was not alone in my engrossment/head-scratching.  It is a credit to Melissa James Gibson that I was sufficiently invested in her characters to invest further energy in understanding them.  But it is also an indication that this talented playwright should have spent a bit more time polishing her creation before presenting it to a paying audience.

The plot revolves around PhD candidate Louise, brought very much to life by the fabulous Carrie Coon.  Louise is desperate to feel connection to her family, her lover and her work on a double-blind medication study.  But she fears that, like the placebos of old, she has no legitimate claim to those bonds. Ms. Coon and her colleagues (Florencia Lozano, William Jackson Harper and Alex Hurt) possess superior talent for delivering the hyper-realistic dialogue that makes up much of the play’s 90 minutes.  It is to their credit that the piece has the essential warmth that makes the audience want to see her successful and happy.

Obie-winning director Daniel Aukin does his best to bring depth to the thin script.  His clever staging moves each beat along and emphasizes the much-needed comic relief.  A somewhat awkward and overly lengthy funeral “scene” brings the storytelling to a halt and, like a car on a hill, it takes great energy to get things rolling again.  The performance also stops rather than ends, which is always unsatisfying.

That said, if there is anything in your life that used to come easily and now requires effort because of time, physical limitation, or increased cynicism (in other words, if you are human and of a certain age), Placebo is likely to speak to you.  And when it comes to theater, that’s the real deal.

Placebo is playing on the Main Stage at Playwrights Horizons through April 5, 2015.  For tickets and information, visit http://www.playwrightshorizons.org/shows/plays/placebo/.

Between Riverside and Crazy

Off-Broadway, Play, Uncategorized March 20, 2015 Leave a comment

Stephen Adly Guirgis has an almost unmatched talent for writing dialogue.  From the inept burglars in Den of Thieves to the titular Motherf**ker with the Hat, his casts sound completely authentic even when what they are doing isn’t completely familiar.  Guirgis’s skill creating deep believable characters allows the audience to take a little trip inside a world that is simultaneously commonplace and new.

This gift is in evidence in his latest theatrical work, Between Riverside and Crazy, now playing at 2second Stage Theater after a run at the Atlantic Theater Company.  In this dark comedy, we visit with Walter “Pops” Washington — a former cop living in a large rent controlled apartment on Manhattan’s west side — and his extended family.  Like many tenants of these highly desirable and marketable dwellings, the landlord wants them out.  But Pop’s is protective of his territory and that of his unusual brood.  They include Pop’s biological son, Junior, recent ex-con and recovering alcoholic, Oswaldo, and Junior’s girlfriend and perpetual student, Lulu.

It quickly becomes clear that of the three, it is strikingly Junior who feels the most distant from the well meaning yet gruff retiree.  Just how these relationships formed is made clear without banging the viewer over the head. Wonderful details and insight are shared in almost every line from the opening moments at the kitchen table.  (You will never think of breakfast food in the same way again.)

As with Guirgis’s other creations, the play isn’t all talk.  Events pick up speed when Pops is paid a visit by his former partner and her fiancee.  What unfolds is a highly enjoyable combination of clever laughs and tragic food for thought.  Each emotional turn is perfectly enhanced by Walt Spangler’s literally turning set, which moves the players through space and time.  The action is reinforced by Austin Pendelton’s astute direction.  He knows just when to leisurely play out a moment and when to jump ahead.  His artistry is supported by a practiced cast lead by Stephen McKinley Henderson, who wears the role of Pops like a tailored suit that’s been slept in.

Between Riverside and Crazy is playing through March 22, 2015, in the Tony Kiser theater, 2econd Stage Midtown.  For tickets and information, visit http://2st.com/shows/current-production/between-riverside-and-crazy.

Rasheeda Speaking

Off-Broadway, Play, Uncategorized February 16, 2015 1 Comment

There’s something toxic in the air in Dr. Williams’s office.  Whether it is emanating from the copier or one of the occupants isn’t easy to determine.  Williams is desperate to fire his latest hire, Jaclyn, a middle-age African American woman whom he feels is brusk with his patients and disrespectful of him.  But is he just being racially insensitive?  Is she really a dedicated employee with a rightfully-earned chip on her shoulder, who would thrive were she given just a little more support?

As portrayed by the charismatic and clever Tonya Pinkins, Jaclyn is a fascinating cypher.  She’s clearly an unreliable narrator of events, but the genuine nuggets of hard truth that lie beneath her stories poke through with alarming sharpness.  We may not want to have her over for dinner, but we certainly feel for her – at least some of the time.  I suspect Pinkins fleshed out Jaclyn’s backstory by thoroughly digesting the rich dialogue provided by Joel Drake Johnson (whose “The First Grade” is still fresh in my mind after four years).  Even her little “throw away” lines have weight.

If only Pinkins had a better opponent to play against.  Dianne Wiest’s performance seems to have been inspired by a newborn goat.  She trots unsteadily around the stage, bleating her lines in an irritating high-pitched tone.  By the time her character Ileen is in genuine distress, only dogs can hear her.  It’s a hugely disappointing turn from this Oscar winner and theater regular.

Happily, first-time director, Cynthia Nixon,  seems to have attracted a younger than usual audience to the theater.  I’m a bit puzzled, however, as to why the Sex and the City star chose this play as her directorial debut.  Unfolding in a static office setting, the action is limited to occasionally watering the plants and making coffee.  Perhaps, like me, Ms. Nixon is interested in team dynamics, particularly when they are filtered through prejudice and assumption.  Johnson provides a banquet of food for thought on this complicated subject.  Hours after the curtain, I found myself mulling over how I would handle Jaclyn as a boss, a co-worker or an HR professional.  That’s quite a takeaway from a little play.

Rasheeda Speaking is presented by The New Group at the Pershing Square Signature Center through March 22, 2015.  For tickets and information visit: http://www.thenewgroup.org/rasheeda-speaking.html