by Jana Pollack, New Rep Reviewer
"Bakersfield Mist", by playwright Stephen Sachs, is a study of authenticity. Authenticity of art is the subject of the play, and what unfolds is a discussion of what it means to live authentically. Unfortunately, it all seems fake.
The play opens when Lionel (Ken Cheeseman), a renowned New York City art expert, comes to the trailer park home of Maude (Paula Langton), a down and out former bartender. Maude believes that a painting she bought for $3 at a thrift store is, in fact, a Jackson Pollock. Lionel is there to provide his expertise on the matter, and he almost immediately pronounces it "not real." But, at Maude's urging, he stays a good while longer, taking shot after shot of Jack Daniels as they both reveal layers of themselves. Maude unsuccessfully uses various tactics to get Lionel to say that the painting is a Pollock. As each reveals personal traumas they've endured, a bond is created and they are able to see beyond their initial impressions of the other.
This is all well and good, and could provide an interesting study of why we latch on to certain ideas of truth and are unable to give them up. However, Sachs’ play does not allow for such depth. It is a predictable and surface-level look at these two people. Within the first five minutes, it’s clear that the playwright has placed them in this trailer so that they can spend 90 minutes learning to see each other differently. As a result, all of their admissions of personal truths seem forced, and cliché after cliché is hit as they recount their troubles. The playwright has taken the easy way out at every turn, and I left the play feeling empty and frustrated at the missed opportunity.
Langton and Cheeseman do their best. These are not bad performances, but they are strained by the lack of workable material. As usual, New Rep provides an evocative set, allowing the audience to feel like they are sitting comfortably inside Maude's homey trailer.
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