Harry Clarke

C+

Vineyard Theatre opens its 35th season with the world premiere of this solo play by David Cale. Billy Crudup (No Man’s Land, Arcadia, The Pillowman) plays Philip Brugglestein of South Bend, Indiana, who, since the age of eight, has taken refuge from bullies including his father by assuming the alternate persona of an Englishman, accent and all. When his father dies under questionable circumstances, he sells the family home and moves to New York to start a new life as an Englishman. One day when he is in his thirties, he decides to follow a man he chooses at random. Crudup also portrays the man, his mother, his sister and a few other characters. It’s an interesting idea, but Cale doesn’t handle the story particularly well. A few salacious scenes are thrown in just to spice things up, even though they have little bearing on the main plot. The saving grace, to the extent there is one, is Mr. Crudup’s performance. He is good with accents and even gets to sing a little. I’m not sure whether director Leigh Silverman (Chinglish, Sweet Charity) could have done anything more to hide the weaknesses in the script. The simple set by Alexander Dodge (A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder) features a wooden chair and side table on a wooden deck with a background brightly lit by Alan C. Edwards. Kaye Voyce’s costume does not call attention to itself. To me, the play came across as a pale, rather clumsy imitation of Patricia Highsmith’s “The Talented Mr. Ripley.” Running time: one hour 20 minutes; no interimssion.