Heroes of the Fourth Turning

C-

Before you look it up, The Fourth Turning is the title of a book about historical cycles much admired by Steve Bannon. The four Catholic conservatives at the center of Will Arbery’s (Plano) new drama at Playwrights Horizons hope to play a leading role during the coming era. They are gathered in Wyoming to celebrate the inauguration of a beloved professor as president of their alma mater. I looked forward to gaining some insight into the conservative mind, but I left mostly disappointed. The protagonists are a motley crew; not one of them is someone I would want to have a beer with. Justin (Jeb Kreager; Oslo), who is about ten years older than his former classmates, was married and in the military; he is teaching at the college but is having doubts about his present life. Kevin (John Zdrojeski; Before We’re Gone) is a feckless underachiever given to self-pity over not having a girlfriend and, when we meet him, very drunk. Teresa (Zoe Winters; White Noise) is a hard-edged assertive Bannonite who works in media in New York. Emily (Julia McDermott), enfeebled by a mysterious illness, is the daughter of Gina (Michelle Pawk; Hollywood Arms), the new college president. When Gina puts in an appearance to greet her former students, she does not give them the pat on the back they crave. In a post-performance talkback, the playwright revealed that, as I suspected, the characters are based on actual people. Unfortunately, he does not present them in a way that makes them easy to care about or to explain the origins of their points of view. 

The play manages to violate three of my theater commandments:

1. Thou shalt not shine bright lights in the audience’s eyes. Rather have a scrim over the stage, the production prevents you from seeing the stage beforehand by dazzling you with very bright lights. If you have a seat near the front, I advise you be seated as close to curtain time as possible so you won’t be assaulted by the lights.

2. Thou shalt not startle the audience with sudden, very loud noises. Three times we are blasted by a horrendous sound, the source of which is never revealed.

     3.  Thou shalt not run for more than two hours without an intermission. 

I might have been more willing to forgive these sins against the audience if the play had been more enlightening. 

Laura Jellinek’s (The Treasurer) set is so dimly lit that it is hard to make out. The costumes by Sarafina Bush; Pass Over) are apt. Director Danya Taymor (“Daddy,” Familiar) does not succeed in turning dross to gold.

Running time: two hours, ten minutes; no intermission.

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"Daddy"

C-

Because I thoroughly enjoyed Jeremy O. Harris’s Slave Play at New York Theatre Workshop a few months ago, I have been looking forward to his new play for Vineyard Theatre and The New Group, now playing at Pershing Square Signature Center. While it shares with the earlier play a focus on interracial relationships, it unfortunately lacks that play’s wit and resonance. Subtitled “A Melodrama,” it revolves around Franklin (Ronald Peet; Spill, Cute Activist), a young LA-based black artist; Andre (Alan Cumming; Cabaret), the rich, white, middle-aged art collector with whom he begins a relationship; and Zora (Charlayne Woodard; Ain’t Misbehavin’, War), Franklin’s bible-quoting disapproving mother. We also meet Franklin’s vapid friends Bethany (Kahyun Kim; Love and Money) and Max (Tommy Dorfman; “13 Reasons Why”) as well as Alessia (Hari Nef, “Transparent”), the brassy owner of the gallery where Franklin is about to have his first show. There is also a three-woman gospel choir (Carrie Compere, Denise Manning, Onyie Nwachuckwu) whose presence adds a fanciful touch. For a good chunk of the first act, Franklin and Andre debate the contemporary art scene. While Bethany is inspired by Franklin’s good fortune in finding a sugar daddy, Max is jealous and resentful. Alessia is excited at the prospect of representing a hot new artist who will put her gallery on the map. Zora senses a threat and comes to town to see what’s up. She and Andre do not hit it off. We see the ups and downs of Franklin’s relationships at length — great length. Harris knows how to go for the theatrical: an onstage swimming pool, extensive male frontal nudity, simulated gay sex, larger than life dolls and that gospel choir. Alas, he is better at grabbing our attention than at maintaining it. My interest waned long before the third and final act drew to a close. Alan Cumming and Charlayne Woodard are always worth seeing onstage. The wonderful set design by Matt Saunders (Pipeline, Venus) featuring the pool of a Bel Air mansion is beautifully lit by Isabella Byrd (The Thanksgiving Play). The costumes by Montana Levi Blanco (Fabulation, In the Blood) add to the LA vibe. Director Danya Taymor (Pass Over, Familiar) keeps things moving smoothly except for an awkward scene break in the final act that many in the audience thought (or hoped) was the play’s ending. There are some worthwhile moments in the play, but they do not add up to a satisfying work. Running time: two hours 50 minutes including two intermissions. NOTE: Avoid rows A and B. People in row A will need the towels they have been provided to protect them from splashes from the pool. There is no rake between rows A and B so if you are sitting in row B behind a tall person, you are out of luck.

Pass Over

B-

Someone cleverer than me summarized Antoinette Nwandu’s powerful play at LCT3's Claire Tow Theater as “Waiting for Godot meets Black Lives Matter.” That isn’t a bad description. Two young homeless black men, Moses (Jon Michael Hill; Superior Donuts) and Kitch (Namir Smallwood; Pipeline) are trapped on a decrepit urban block where they go through a daily routine of verbal games and daydreaming about escaping to the Promised Land, a routine occasionally punctuated by the reality of imminent violence. They are unable to break away from their awful corner. Two visitors arrive, Mister (Gabriel Ebert; 4000 Miles, Matilda the Musical), a seemingly benign but slightly creepy gentleman all dressed in white who has become lost on the way to his mother’s and offers the men the humorously vast array of food in his picnic basket. Their second visitor is Ossifer (also Ebert), a policeman, whose behavior is far from benign. For a surrealistic moment, Moses gains the powers of his namesake and vanquishes Ossifer. However, this story cannot realistically have a happy ending. Mister returns and shows his true colors with tragic results. As the final scene progresses, the house lights are gradually turned up as if to implicate the audience in the proceedings. It’s a highly theatrical work, ably directed by Danya Taymor (queens). The scenic design by Winston Chin (Next Fall, My Mañana Comes) is appropriately depressing and the costumes by Serafina Bush are apt. The sound design by Justin Ellington (Pipeline) makes ironic use of “Oh What a Beautiful Morning.” The lighting design by Marcus Doshi plays an important role in the production. I had to struggle to overcome my discomfort with the language; every fifth word is the N word. It’s a rough, uneven, occasionally muddled piece, but its energy is undeniable. Running time: 85 minutes, no intermission. NOTE: Spike Lee filmed a performance of the play at Steppenwolf, available to watch online by those who have Amazon Prime.

queens

C+

This new drama by Martyna Majok (Ironbound) at LCT3’s Claire Tow Theater takes us to a basement in Queens where several immigrant women are living in a crowded illegal apartment. Most of them are from Eastern Europe, but one is from Honduras and another from Afghanistan. Most of the play is set in the basement in 2001, 2005 and 2017, but there are also scenes in Ukraine, Honduras and Georgia (the state, not the country). The jumping back and forth between years and places is occasionally confusing. Renia (a powerful Ana Reeder; The Big Knife), who we see rise from tenant to building owner, has left her young daughter behind and lives with that guilt. Inna (Sarah Tolan-Mee) is a young immigrant who suspects Renia might be her mother. Pelagiya (Jessica Love; Aubergine, The River), Aamani (Nadine Malouf; The Who and the What) and Isabella (Nicole Villamil) are three colorful residents who, unfortunately, disappear after Act One. Agata (Zuzanna Szadkowski) and Lera (Andrea Syglowski) have smaller but still important roles. Three of the actors (Mss. Love, Malouf and Villamil) also have a second role. The playwright captures the texture of life in the ad-hoc community formed by the women in the basement and offers some insight on what brought them there and what their hopes are. As a collection of character studies, the play succeeds, but as a coherent narrative, it needs work. There seems to be a trend this year to rush plays to production with really major revisions being made during previews. The set by Laura Jellinek seems too spacious for a basement apartment, but features a ceiling that lowers oppressively. Kaye Voyce’s costumes help define the characters. Danya Taymor has not been entirely successful in keeping the audience aware of when each scene takes place. Despite its flaws, the play offers a welcome glimpse at a group that has too often been overlooked. Running time: two hours 45 minutes including two intermissions.