by Jack Craib, New Rep Reviewer
New Rep‘s “boom” is a blast. The current production from the pen of playwright Peter Sinn Nachtrieb is a hybrid of Thornton Wilder‘s “Skin of Our Teeth” and an episode of “Twilight Zone” on speed. Nachtrieb clearly draws on his degrees in both theater and biology, creating an apocalyptic view that speaks loudly and clearly (not to mention hilariously) to the very topical argument of evolution vs. creationism. His satire on “existential anxiety” is indebted to author Richard Dawkins’ “The Ancestor’s Tale” in which Dawson works backward in time via our “concestors” (apes, monkeys, mammals, invertebrates) and writes that “life evolved out of nearly nothing, some ten billion years ago after the universe evolved out of literally nothing, a fact so staggering that I would be mad to attempt words to do it justice”. Obviously Nachtrieb is mad, as he does just that. He’s convinced not only of the fact, but of the absolute inevitability of evolution, asserting that it would happen exactly the same if we were to start all over again.
The place: indeterminate. The time, as Nachtrieb references elsewhere: “when we least expect it”. The characters: a wholly unholy trinity faced with the imminent impact of a civilization-threatening comet. Scott Sweatt is Jules, a young marine biologist living in a subterranean biology lab who placed an ad for a “casual encounter with intensely significant coupling”; Sweatt makes the angst of this hysterical visionary palpable, never losing his zany focus on the immediate threat of annihilation. Zofia Gozynska is Jo, a skeptical journalism student who answers the ad as part of an assignment to write a story that “made you feel honest genuine hope”; she provides a very believable antagonist for our hapless hero. Karen MacDonald is Barbara, who we come to learn is a natural history docent, complete with name tag, who spends much of the play pulling levers and playing the timpani. Barbara is, in her own words, “passionate about (her) stories. Passionate.” And so is MacDonald. Can this truly be the same actress who so recently broke hearts in the Huntington Theater’s “All My Sons”? With her well-known talent for mimicry and pantomime, she displays an astonishing arsenal of gestures and exclamations rather than words to convey her character’s combination of vulnerability and drive. It’s difficult to tell where her own versatility and the superb direction by Bridget Kathleen O’Leary begin and end; it’s a seamless collaboration, but difficult to describe without divulging too much. Equally seamless are the lighting and sound, both crucial to the impact of this production.
For an off-the-wall fantasy, this work deals with serious issues, as Thornton Wilder did in acknowledging that there is “something way down deep that’s eternal about every human being”. Not only is “boom” concerned with the beginning of life, and its end, it posits that knowledge of our common past is essential; the very future of humanity depends on it. It confronts us with the dilemma of fate or randomness in the course of one’s own existence and life in general. And it does it with a healthy dose of wit, whimsy and wackiness. Don’t delay sharing the hilarity; see it ASAP, before the play’s run ends or the comet hits. Whichever comes first.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
"Boom!" is a bust.
"boom" -- Kate Poverman -- New Rep reviewer
After seeing New Rep's production of "boom!" my husband commented that the 90 minute play was 90 minutes too long. I disagreed: I thought it was about 80 minutes too long because there were some amusing parts. I know our negative view of the play was not universal. This was clear from the many laughs that the play garnered during the performance, some of which were my own, and none of which were my husband's.
I found the premise of the play interesting: the world is ending and a nerdy, maybe-gay guy, Jules, tricks a young journalism student, Jo, into coming into his bomb shelter so they can repopulate human kind. This drama is presented as a play-within-a-play: Jules and Jo's story is a museum display depicting how the (future?) human race evolved. However, the script was weak and inconsistent, ineffectively mixing humor and drama.
The most amusing and best-acted parts of "boom!" were provided by the museum docent/narrator/commentator Barbara, played by Karen MacDonald. I last saw Karen in a production of Miller's "All My Sons," in which she was transcendent. Unfortunately, this script didn't give her much to work with, but she did as good a job as anyone could have done. She was impressive on the drums (really) and was great as a ditzy docent who was a little too emotionally involved in the drama she was presenting.
Scott Sweatt, as the nerdy Jules, and Zofia Gozynska, as the unhappy Jo, were not equal to MacDonald. If they had been, the play might have succeeded. Gozynska's portrayal of Jo was especially problematic. Jo was an unhappy, bitter, foul mouthed young woman whose every other word began with "f" or "motherf." Having had periods in my life where I myself swore like a sailor, I was surprised at how much this irked me. The foul language was repetitive, unimaginative and gratuitous. There are better ways to show that a character has a violently negative view of the world. And to make matters worse, Gozynska couldn't pull this angry character off. She was frantic instead of furious, had no sense of timing, and lacked the physical and emotional dramatic strength that the character required.
Sweatt, as Jules, wasn't much better. He was bland, unimpressive and unconvincing. In short, he was as boring as his character. Sweatt improved a bit as the play progressed and the script allowed him to show some emotion. When this occurred, he was convincing as a man at the end of his rope. It's possible, though, that a stronger actor would have helped the play overcome its speciousness and lack of coherence. This not being the case, seeing "boom!" was pretty much a waste of 80 minutes.
After seeing New Rep's production of "boom!" my husband commented that the 90 minute play was 90 minutes too long. I disagreed: I thought it was about 80 minutes too long because there were some amusing parts. I know our negative view of the play was not universal. This was clear from the many laughs that the play garnered during the performance, some of which were my own, and none of which were my husband's.
I found the premise of the play interesting: the world is ending and a nerdy, maybe-gay guy, Jules, tricks a young journalism student, Jo, into coming into his bomb shelter so they can repopulate human kind. This drama is presented as a play-within-a-play: Jules and Jo's story is a museum display depicting how the (future?) human race evolved. However, the script was weak and inconsistent, ineffectively mixing humor and drama.
The most amusing and best-acted parts of "boom!" were provided by the museum docent/narrator/commentator Barbara, played by Karen MacDonald. I last saw Karen in a production of Miller's "All My Sons," in which she was transcendent. Unfortunately, this script didn't give her much to work with, but she did as good a job as anyone could have done. She was impressive on the drums (really) and was great as a ditzy docent who was a little too emotionally involved in the drama she was presenting.
Scott Sweatt, as the nerdy Jules, and Zofia Gozynska, as the unhappy Jo, were not equal to MacDonald. If they had been, the play might have succeeded. Gozynska's portrayal of Jo was especially problematic. Jo was an unhappy, bitter, foul mouthed young woman whose every other word began with "f" or "motherf." Having had periods in my life where I myself swore like a sailor, I was surprised at how much this irked me. The foul language was repetitive, unimaginative and gratuitous. There are better ways to show that a character has a violently negative view of the world. And to make matters worse, Gozynska couldn't pull this angry character off. She was frantic instead of furious, had no sense of timing, and lacked the physical and emotional dramatic strength that the character required.
Sweatt, as Jules, wasn't much better. He was bland, unimpressive and unconvincing. In short, he was as boring as his character. Sweatt improved a bit as the play progressed and the script allowed him to show some emotion. When this occurred, he was convincing as a man at the end of his rope. It's possible, though, that a stronger actor would have helped the play overcome its speciousness and lack of coherence. This not being the case, seeing "boom!" was pretty much a waste of 80 minutes.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
"boom" explodes with laughter
by Frank Furnari, New Rep Reviewer
Your years of researching the sleeping habits of fish leads you to believe that the world will encounter a cataclysmic event, a boom if you will, and after you fortify your underground lab, one of the last things you do before the big boom is place a Craigslist ad for a hookup. This is exactly what Jules does in boom the new production in the Downstage @ New Rep Black Box Theater. Jo is the unsuspecting undergrad who answers his ad and she comes on strong looking for a night of fun; however, things don’t go as planned. She (and the rest of the scientific community) don’t believe Jules’ data and analysis. Jo wonders if he is a psychopath (I believe this play was written before we had to worry about Craigslist killers). The audience soon realizes we are actually visitors to a sort of evolution museum, watching a recreation of events with a museum employee, Barbara, pulling the levers and occasionally offering her commentary.
boom offers some interesting (though not new) ideas on evolution and science. It brings to mind recent debates over evolution and the controversies surrounding them. The play offers many laughs throughout with many witty exchanges. It also includes a fair share of foul language, but not more than you’d find in, perhaps your typical Mamet play.
Bridget Kathleen O’Leary assembles and directs a strong cast. Scott Sweatt is great as Jules with the right nerdy scientist quality; you can sense he’s not good around people. Karen MacDonald steals the show with her portrayal of Barbara, the eccentric museum employee that really cares about the exhibit and has added many of her own embellishments. She’s fun to watch and you find yourself glancing over at her many times just to see what her reaction is to the action taking place on the other half of the set. Overall, boom is a solid production and a fun 90 minutes - make sure you see the final Downstage @ New Rep show of the season.
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
boom First Rehearsal
Today is the first day of rehearsal's for the the New England Premiere of boom! We just got back from the meet and greet and I wanted to share some of the highlights with you!
First, a little background: boom is by Peter Sinn Nachtrieb, and it is a comedy about the end of the world. Peter went to Brown University and concentrated in theater and biology. He describes boom as "my way of figuring out why I majored in both." Read more about Peter and boom in the Brown Alumni Magazine.
boom will be performing in the Black Box Theater, and as you know it can be a little tricky to figure out how to make you world come to life in this small and intimate space. Here is Jarrod Bray (set designer) talking about his design concept for the show. (also in photo Zofia Gozynska, who play Jo)
Here is a closer look at the world Jarrod is creating:
And here is director Bridget Kathleen O'Leary talking to the cast and crew of boom about her vision (and excitement!) for this show.
Would you like to hear what Bridget has to say about boom? Listen to our New Rep Chats with Bridget and Artistic Director Kate Warner!
First, a little background: boom is by Peter Sinn Nachtrieb, and it is a comedy about the end of the world. Peter went to Brown University and concentrated in theater and biology. He describes boom as "my way of figuring out why I majored in both." Read more about Peter and boom in the Brown Alumni Magazine.
boom will be performing in the Black Box Theater, and as you know it can be a little tricky to figure out how to make you world come to life in this small and intimate space. Here is Jarrod Bray (set designer) talking about his design concept for the show. (also in photo Zofia Gozynska, who play Jo)
Here is a closer look at the world Jarrod is creating:
And here is director Bridget Kathleen O'Leary talking to the cast and crew of boom about her vision (and excitement!) for this show.
Would you like to hear what Bridget has to say about boom? Listen to our New Rep Chats with Bridget and Artistic Director Kate Warner!
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
"Indulgences" Makes the Sale
by Jana Pollack, New Rep Reviewer
The characters he encounters are going through various ordeals. There are two men who have decided that their lives are so mundane and similar that no one will notice if they simply switch places - and so they give it a try. There is a pair of gay lovers, one of whom happens to be a prince, who are intent on killing the king and establishing a kingdom of acceptance. These two situations are intertwined, and the salesman is caught dead in the middle of both, finding himself desperate to use his God-given powers to control the situations and achieve the best possible outcome.
What he must learn is that free will is what is most important - that each person, bestowed with his own unique soul, must act according to his or her individual intentions, and that this is how things will work out for the best.
Kate Warner's production of this new comedy works hard to achieve a high level of intensity. In the very first piece of action, the salesman stands over a fountain and forcefully splashes water over his face while loud, pumping music plays. After a minute or two, he looks up at the audience, grins, and says, "Let's do this." It is quite an introduction. While the rest of the play is very entertaining, it doesn't quite live up to this beginning. The result of the attempted intensity is that the play's rhythm is jumpy, moving from vignette to vignette with the aid of many dramatic “lights down” moments. This technique is often a vehicle for laughter, but its repeated use makes it difficult to really settle into the story.
However, as usual at New Rep, "Indulgences" is very well-acted, and employs some very gifted comedians. A particular standout is Neil Casey in the role of Man #2; as in last season's "Picasso at Lapin Agile," his facial expressions are a constant source of hilarity. Ed Hoopman, too, in the role of Malcolm, consistently demonstrates perfect comic timing.
This production is not without its problems (mostly the aforementioned pace), and the script, while quite funny, does not offer a unique concept. It does offer laughter, though, and quite a lot of it, as well as the chance to see some talented actors at work. "Indulgences" is ideal for a mid-winter night at the theatre.
"Indulgences": Good and Plenary
by Jack Craib, New Rep Reviewer
Bless me, reader, for I have grinned. Depending on your tolerance for painful puns, you might also find yourself amused by the unconventional goings-on at New Rep’s production of out-there playwright Chris Craddock’s “Indulgences”. The title refers to that regrettable period of several centuries when some clergy in the Catholic Church were guilty of literally selling indulgences, which were either partial or full (“plenary”) remissions of purgatorial punishment for sin. While not as infamous as the Inquisition or the Crusades, it was a lamentable period that led to the protestations of Martin Luther.
Happily, New Rep needs neither absolution nor contrition. This show, Artistic Director Kate Warner’s second directorial effort (after the season opener, “Mr. Roberts”), is impeccably paced and immaculately performed. Beginning with the rumpled character of Salesman (Benjamin Evett in full “Glengarry Glen Ross” mode), then moving on to the Pinteresque Man 1 (Joel Colodner) and Man 2 (Neil A. Casey), and further still to the Machiavellian plotting by Advisor 1 (Leigh Barrett in an atypical non-singing role) and the rest of the cast, this company need feel no guilt about their part in the commission of this production. Mention should also be made of the perfect precision of lighting and sound, both essential to the vitality of this piece.
If there is fault to be found in “Indulgences”, it lies in the author’s sometimes overwrought writing. Described in the program as a “fractured fairy tale” a la “Rocky and Bullwinkle”, it has both the sublimely weird wackiness and the grossly sophomoric crudity of those fondly remembered tales from one’s youth. In both content and context, playwright Craddock straddles the fence between brilliant theater of the absurd and overcooked Hasty Pudding. The test is whether a theatergoer truly believes or goes roguely heretic; the style and level of humor will appeal more to some, less to others.
Craddock’s influences are as diverse as Mamet, Shakespeare and Rocky the Squirrel. After a lengthy exposition devoid of much overt hilarity, most will probably find the rest of the tale a worthwhile retreat from reality, especially in the second act when the indescribable (or as God puts it in Her off-stage proclamations, ineffable) is translated into several alternative resolutions, not unlike “City of Angels”, “Mystery of Edwin Drood”, and especially Pirandello. The specifics defy synopsis: suspicion, treachery, cross-dressing. Suffice it to say that this is a work that is unabashedly political, and a gay play in both senses of the word.
If you’re in need of a respite from the harshness of everyday life, then get thee to this punnery. If your preferred cup of theatrical tea tends toward the outrageous, you won’t regret this pilgrimage.
Bless me, reader, for I have grinned. Depending on your tolerance for painful puns, you might also find yourself amused by the unconventional goings-on at New Rep’s production of out-there playwright Chris Craddock’s “Indulgences”. The title refers to that regrettable period of several centuries when some clergy in the Catholic Church were guilty of literally selling indulgences, which were either partial or full (“plenary”) remissions of purgatorial punishment for sin. While not as infamous as the Inquisition or the Crusades, it was a lamentable period that led to the protestations of Martin Luther.
Happily, New Rep needs neither absolution nor contrition. This show, Artistic Director Kate Warner’s second directorial effort (after the season opener, “Mr. Roberts”), is impeccably paced and immaculately performed. Beginning with the rumpled character of Salesman (Benjamin Evett in full “Glengarry Glen Ross” mode), then moving on to the Pinteresque Man 1 (Joel Colodner) and Man 2 (Neil A. Casey), and further still to the Machiavellian plotting by Advisor 1 (Leigh Barrett in an atypical non-singing role) and the rest of the cast, this company need feel no guilt about their part in the commission of this production. Mention should also be made of the perfect precision of lighting and sound, both essential to the vitality of this piece.
If there is fault to be found in “Indulgences”, it lies in the author’s sometimes overwrought writing. Described in the program as a “fractured fairy tale” a la “Rocky and Bullwinkle”, it has both the sublimely weird wackiness and the grossly sophomoric crudity of those fondly remembered tales from one’s youth. In both content and context, playwright Craddock straddles the fence between brilliant theater of the absurd and overcooked Hasty Pudding. The test is whether a theatergoer truly believes or goes roguely heretic; the style and level of humor will appeal more to some, less to others.
Craddock’s influences are as diverse as Mamet, Shakespeare and Rocky the Squirrel. After a lengthy exposition devoid of much overt hilarity, most will probably find the rest of the tale a worthwhile retreat from reality, especially in the second act when the indescribable (or as God puts it in Her off-stage proclamations, ineffable) is translated into several alternative resolutions, not unlike “City of Angels”, “Mystery of Edwin Drood”, and especially Pirandello. The specifics defy synopsis: suspicion, treachery, cross-dressing. Suffice it to say that this is a work that is unabashedly political, and a gay play in both senses of the word.
If you’re in need of a respite from the harshness of everyday life, then get thee to this punnery. If your preferred cup of theatrical tea tends toward the outrageous, you won’t regret this pilgrimage.
Two men walk into a bar...
By Frank Furnari, New Rep Reviewer
A man is in a bar having a drink and a salesman working for God looks him over and notes “you have sinned.” The salesman offers to sell him an indulgence. Yes, the Catholic way to hedge your bets for getting into heaven and yes, it's legitimate. This begins the play Indulgences, a fractured and funny fairy tale, by Chris Caddock.
We are introduced to two men, simply known as Man 1 and Man 2 who realize that they are very alike in many ways. The two men decide that they are so much alike that they could switch lives and no one would be the wiser, as one of the men puts it "Anyone can be anyone." Next we meet Malcolm, the prince and presumptive heir along with his lover, Fleance (who both happen to speak a sort of fake-Shakespearean English). The couple are plotting to kill the King so that they can be together. Finally, there are the two royal advisors who know about the prince's gay lover, the regicide plot and are trying to scheme so they can gain more power for themselves. It seems confusing as I write it, and is hard to give it justice, but it didn't matter at the time. Indulgences is a very funny mix of familiar tales, great lines, and quick wit. It is a sort of fairy tale meets Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead with a bit of Eugene Ionesco thrown in for good measure (if that makes sense). There is a message that Craddock is trying to convey through the laughter about free will and gay marriage. At a few points, it does seem that the author is trying to emphasize his point a little too much, but since it’s done in such an amusing way he seems to get away with it.
Kate Warner directs a tight production with a stellar cast. While I could say good things about the entire I cast, I will limit myself to a few comments. Benjamin Evett is great as the salesman, trying to broker deals and in conversations with God about free will and God’s ineffable plan. The always-wonderful Leigh Barrett is very funny in this production as the scheming advisor with a facial mole that seems to change location every scene. Neil A. Casey is a comic genius as always in his role as the second man, his subtle moves and facial expressions add depth and more laughs to his performance. If you are looking for an off-beat but funny night of theatre, Indulgences will not disappoint.
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