Curse of the Starving Class

C-

In my review of the recent revival of True West, I observed that “over the years, the plays of Sam Shepard have held little appeal for me. For whatever reason, I seem to have little affinity for his sensibility.” Alas, there was nothing about Signature Theatre’s revival of this early Shepard play that led me to change my mind. This dark absurdist portrait of a family in rural California lacks even one character that I could root for. Weston (David Warshofsky; Biloxi Blues, Blue Window), the father, is an abusive alcoholic. Ella (Maggie Siff; A Lie of the Mind, Frank’s Home), the self-absorbed mother, is short on maternal instincts. Son Wesley (Gilles Geary; Hangmen) is sullen and nasty. Daughter Emma (Lizzy Declement; Lost Girls), newly arrived at puberty, is smart but volatile. To make any generalizations about the failing American dream on the basis of this family is not profitable. Shepard has burdened the play with too many metaphor-laden monologues. Director Terry Kinney (The Price, reasons to be pretty) has combined the first two acts into one, which makes for a long 90 minutes before intermission. The final act is shorter, grosser and more violent. As drunk Weston, David Warshofsky is far more persuasive than he is as sober Weston. Maggie Siff, whose performances on television (“Mad Men, Billions”) radiate intelligence and sophistication, is miscast as Ella. Gilles Geary and Lizzy Declement are quite strong as their children; both deserve a special prize for what they must endure — being covered head-to-toe with mud for her and a gross pig-out as well as a nude scene for him. For reasons unknown, the director has cast the role of Sgt. Malcolm with a tiny woman with a Latin accent (Flora Diaz; Playing God, Seven Spots on the Sun). Andrew Rothenberg is appropriately slippery as lawyer Taylor and Esau Pritchett (A Free Man of Color) is good as the blustery bar owner Ellis. Rothenberg and Pritchett also appear briefly as thugs in the final act. The lamb is cute. Julian Crouch (Hedwig, Head Over Heels) has designed an oversize kitchen that undergoes an amazing transformation in the play’s first minute that could serve as a metaphor for the entire play. For me it was downhill from there. Sarah J. Holden’s (The Price, reasons to be pretty) costumes suit their characters. Director Kinney shows an affinity for Shepard. If you are a Shepard fan, you may well enjoy yourself; if not, it may be a long 2 1/2 hours (including intermission).

Hangmen

A-

After successful runs at the Royal Court and the West End in 2015, Martin McDonagh’s very dark comedy has reached New York in a top-notch production at Atlantic Theater Company. Fortunately, original director Matthew Dunster is back, along with three members of the original cast — Sally Rogers as Harry’s wife Alice, Reece Shearsmith as Harry’s former assistant Syd and the wonderful Johnny Flynn (Young Einstein in “Genius”) as the mysteriously menacing Mooney. Mark Addy ("The Full Monty," "Atlantis") has taken over the role of Harry, Britain’s second-best executioner, and makes it his own. Gaby French nails the role of Harry and Alice’s “mopey” 15-year-old daughter Shirley. The other actors — Owen Campbell (Indian Summer), Billy Carter (Shining City), Maxwell Caulfield (Entertaining Mr. Sloane), Gilles Geary, Richard Hollis (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time), John Horton and David Lansbury (Anything Goes, Noises Off)—are all Americans, but they fit into the ensemble so seamlessly that I would not have guessed without reading the program. Dialect coach Stephen Gabis did his job well. The play is set in the north of England in the mid-60’s. During the first scene, we see Harry and Syd oversee the execution of a prisoner who emphatically protests his innocence. The rest of the play takes place two years later. Harry has retired and is running a small-town pub. On the day that the abolition of the death penalty takes effect, a reporter (Campbell) arrives and tries to interview Harry. He refuses to talk until the reporter loosens his lips by mentioning his archrival Albert Pierrepoint (a real person, played here by Caulfield) as an alternative source. Mooney, a mysterious stranger who is clearly not a northerner, arrives and expresses his interest in renting a room. Mooney attempts to ingratiate himself, first with Alice and then with Shirley. When Shirley disappears, Mooney is immediately suspected, thanks to information supplied by Syd, whom we at one point see meeting with Mooney in a cafe that suddenly appears above the main set. Gallows humor (appropriately!) grows more prominent in the remarkable scene that comprises most of the second act. There are strong overtones of Orton and Pinter. A running joke addresses the correct usage of ‘hung” and “hanged.” Costume and set designer Anne Fleischle has done much to enhance the production. I could quibble about the haziness of Mooney’s motivation, but it didn’t bother me while I was caught up in the play. While I don’t think McDonagh quite reaches the heights of some of his earlier plays such as The Beauty Queen of Leenane or The Cripple of Inishmaan, he has nevertheless written a play that is entertaining, disturbing and thought-provoking. Running time: 2 hours 20 minutes including intermission.