Thursday, January 11, 2018

Mankind

D

If only I had left Robert O’Hara’s new play at Playwrights Horizons at intermission, I would have had a pleasant but abbreviated evening. Until that point, the satire had remained relatively sharp and focused and there was a sense that the play had reached its logical conclusion. Unfortunately, after a mood-breaking fifteen minutes, the play resumed and ran steadily downhill for another 45 minutes. O’Hara’s initial premise of an oppressive society where women have become extinct and men have developed the ability to bear children is a promising one. In a nice twist, abortion is still illegal, so when sex buddies Mark (Anson Mount) and Jason (Bobby Moreno; Grand Concourse, Fulfillment Center) seek one after Jason’s surprise pregnancy, they are arrested for attempted murder. When Jason gives birth to the first female born in a century, he and Mark unwittingly become founders of a new feminist religion with rituals highly reminiscent of Roman Catholicism. O’Hara takes potshots at patriarchy, talk shows, materialism, climate change, organized religion, feminism and the innate intolerance of mankind. I wish his inventiveness were coupled with more discipline. The satire generates surprisingly few laughs and rapidly becomes tedious. Four other actors — David Ryan Smith, Ariel Shafir, Stephen Schnetzer (Oslo) and scene-stealer Andre de Shields (The Wiz, The Full Monty) — play multiple roles. Clint Ramos (Bella, Familiar) has designed an overcomplicated set with a revolving platform and modules that are pushed this way and that. Dede M. Ayite’s (School Girls, The Royale) ecclesiastical garb is funnier than most of the dialog. Once again, O’Hara demonstrates why playwrights (with rare exceptions) should not direct their own work. “Barbecue,” with another director, was considerably more rewarding than either “Bootycandy” or this play. It was a frustrating evening of missed opportunities. Running time: 2 hours including intermission.

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