Nomad Motel

C-

The New York premiere of this well-meaning but muddled drama by Carla Ching (Fast Company) is the current attraction at Atlantic Theatre Company’s Stage 2. Two intelligent high school seniors in Anaheim, CA — Alix (Molly Griggs; Linda), an American girl with a feckless single mother, and Mason (Christopher Larkin), a boy from Hong Kong with an absent widowed father — are paired by a high school teacher to work on a joint project. Alix’s mother Fiona (Samantha Mathis; American Psycho, Affluenza), an unemployed actress, has lost the family home and furtively moves Alix and her two unseen young brothers from one motel to another when she can’t come up with the rent. Alix’s salary as a waitress at a taco joint is the family’s only income. She longs to escape by getting into Pratt and becoming a landscape architect. Mason’s mysterious father James (Andrew Pang; Kafka on the Shore), apparently an enforcer for a crime syndicate, set Mason up in a home in Anaheim four years ago to benefit from an American education and get into a top university to study economics to become a hedge fund manager. He tries to keep tight control over his son even though absent, but cuts off his financial support and disappears after Mason is disrespectful during a phone call. The lonely, socially awkward Mason loves music and only wants to become a musician. Lest we somehow not grasp that Mason is sensitive, we learn that he is caring for an injured bird he rescued. When Fiona takes off again, leaving Alix on her own, Alix is forced to move in with Oscar (Ian Duff; Dutch Masters), an African-American ex-boyfriend who is still carrying the torch for her. When she doesn’t reciprocate, he kicks her out and, in desperation, she moves in with Mason. The plight of being undocumented or black is mentioned in passing; we learn that both Mason and Oscar have been victims of overzealous policing. The two parents eventually meet and commiserate over the sorrows of parenthood. There is also a ridiculous sword fight. The playwright touches many bases but does not dig deeply enough. The two central characters come across as less interesting to watch than their dysfunctional parents. The monochromatic gray set by Yu-Hsuan Chen (Inanimate), tasked to represent a series of motel rooms, Mason’s house and an abandoned convenience store, is not very helpful in establishing each setting. The costumes by Loren Shaw (Sojourners and Her Portmanteau) do not distract. The direction by Ed Sylvanus Iskander (Sojourners and Her Portmanteau, The Mysteries) has its awkward moments such as when two characters are forced to sit quietly during a long scene not involving them. All in all, it came across as a missed opportunity to adequately address several timely issues. Running time: two hours 15 minutes including intermission. NOTE: Avoid seats in Row A; it is not elevated above Row AA, so your view may be blocked.

Linda

B-

A third play by award-winning British playwright Penelope Skinner (The Village Bike, The Ruins of Civilization) has reached New York in a Manhattan Theatre Club production helmed by MTC artistic director Lynne Meadow. Linda Wilde (Olivier winner Janie Dee), a 50-something executive at a cosmetic company, seems to have it all — a great job, a loyal husband, two daughters, a lovely home. (We are told that her elder daughter Alice (Jennifer Ikeda, recently seen at MTC in “Vietgone”) has a different father and that Linda had to raise her alone, but we don’t learn the circumstances.) Linda won an important advertising prize 10 years before with a campaign emphasizing women’s inner beauty. When she proposes targeting the company’s new anti-aging cream to women over 50, her boss Dave (John C. Vennema) vetoes the idea. He thinks it’s better to trade on the insecurities of younger women and market to them and has brought in Amy (Molly Griggs), a 25-year old hotshot, to head the campaign. Linda learns that her husband Neil (Donald Sage Mackay) is canoodling with Stevie (Meghann Fahy), the attractive young singer in his band. Daughter Alice is a mess; she has been vegetating at home and won’t take off her skunk costume onesie. Apparently, she was permanently traumatized by a shaming incident at school 10 years ago. Younger daughter Bridget (Molly Janson) is about to audition for a drama academy, but wants to do a man’s speech since she thinks there are few good speeches for women. Luke (Maurice Jones) is a flirty temp at Linda’s office who is leaving soon for Bali. It turns out that Amy was in school with Alice and was complicit in her shaming. In another unlikely twist, mother imitates daughter with similarly disastrous consequences. Even the elements conspire; we get a Lear-worthy storm, for no discernible reason. The underlying problem of being an aging woman in contemporary society gets lost in the melodrama. On the plus side, we get a strong performance from Janie Dee and a sleek revolving set by Walt Spangler that is even color-coordinated with Jennifer von Mayrhauser’s attractive costumes. Too bad that the work came across, to me at least, as a heavy-handed polemic that did not do justice to its topic. Running time: 2 hours 20 minutes including intermission.