New Rep’s newest black-box show Chesapeake is a rip-roaring combination of wit, passion, intellect,
and irony. Written with the flair of a
playwright confounded by the public debate over funding the arts, and spoken
with the strong (and sometimes trembling) voice of an enthusiastic performance
artist, this unconventional (dark) comedy cycles between hurt and hilarity.
The performance artist Kerr (who has much in common with
the cur of which she dreams) is
reviled by her hometown Congressman and used as a scapegoat in his campaign for
Senate. She decides, in retaliation, to
teach the Congressman a lesson through his beloved Chesapeake terrier. She
believes she can do it in a way that changes hearts and minds, and that it will
merely be a form of “real protest.” The play thus begs the question, how far
would you and should you go in the name of art and activism? While a Boston-area audience will probably
not side with the conservative Southern Congressman, perhaps neither will they
appreciate Kerr’s impulsive, violent actions.
Are we supposed to decry the performance artist’s performance of
recklessness much as early-twentieth-century audience booed her idols, the “Futurists?”
What is the responsibility of an artist for the damage her art may do?
What unfolds for Kerr and her fellow characters can only
be described as an emotional journey, and perhaps a spiritual one too. The
storyline of the second act is more of a rabbit-hole than a ladder, surprising
us in its depth (and in our own ability to suspend disbelief). For all those
looking for something out of the ordinary, something that will tickle your
fancy and raise your eyebrow, come down the New Rep for this resounding
one-woman show. The effort and
dedication the actress puts into every anecdote is remarkable. Kudos also to
the behind-the-scenes engineers; as in every great play, the lighting and sound
design greatly accentuate the dramatic tension.
~ Shauna Shames, New Rep Reviewer (with assistance from Gabriel Shames)
