Tuesday, November 27, 2012


“Chesapeake

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)

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