What Happened?: The Michaels Abroad

B-

Have you ever been to a party where you don't know anyone but the host, where the other guests are talking about people you don't know and topics that don't resonate for you? That's how I felt watching Richard Nelson’s 12th and final installment of his Rhinebeck Panorama at Hunter College. It received almost universal praise from the critics, some of whom thought it was the best of the series. I wish I could agree. Perhaps 18 months away from the theater has dulled my critical faculties. Maybe I am entering curmudgeonhood. In any case I found the once fresh idea of watching the actors move the kitchen furniture, lay the rugs and set the table had become a bit stale. The chairs were an odd assortment, as usual, and the sink and stove were in their proper places. The main difference was that this kitchen was not in Rhinebeck, but in Angers, France. All seven characters are gathered for a tribute to Rose Michael, the illustrious modern dancer to whom each is related, either as widow (Maryann Plunkett), ex-husband (Jay O. Sanders), daughter (Charlotte Bydwell), niece (Matilda Sakamoto), former colleagues (Haviland Morris and Rita Wolf) or admirer (Yvonne Woods). Most of the play is spent mourning her recent death. She was dying of ovarian cancer, but COVID finished the job. The highlight of her tribute is to be a performance of some of her works by her daughter and niece. Luckily for us, they preview their performance for those assembled. The dances (by the late, great dancer/choreographer Dan Wagoner) are charming and well-performed. Their performance was, for me, the high point of the afternoon. The other good news is that the cozy Hunter theater with only two rows of seats on all four sides is perfect for Nelson's intimate plays. Unllke at the Public Theater, hearing is not a problem. Since it closes today, I won’t take up more of your time, except to say that I thought that even Nelson stalwarts Plunkett and Sanders did not inhabit their characters as thoroughly as usual. Maybe the play would have been more impactful if it had been performed sooner after the first Michaels play. I am sorry that I did not find it more rewarding. Running time: one hour 50 minutes without intermission.

An Ordinary Muslim

B-

Hammaad Chaudry is a lucky man. His thesis advisor for his MFA at Columbia in 2014 was none other than Tony Kushner, who has helped steer his play through drastic revision and expansion— from 70 minutes to 2 1/2 hours - culminating in this production at New York Theatre Workshop. The focus of the play is the Bhatti family of West London in 2011. The father, Akeel (Ranjit Chowdhry), born in India but relocated to Pakistan after the partition, emigrated to England about 40 years ago and has worked his way into the middle class. His emotionally distant wife Malika (Rita Wolf; Homebody/Kabul) is recovering from a heart attack. The lead character is their assimilated son Azeem (Sanjit De Silva; Dry Powder), who works at a bank where he hopes to become branch manager. His wife Saima (Purva Bedi; East Is East), more religious than Azeem, has influenced him to give up alcohol and behave more devoutly. Saima is considering wearing a hijab to work, but Azeem is against the idea. Azeem’s older sister Javeria (Angel Desai) is making a rare visit from Manchester where she lives with her husband and two small children. Imran Jameel (Harsh Nayyar) is the leader of a revivalist Muslim group and his son Hamza (Sathya Sridharan; This Is How It Ends) runs the mosque where Saima is a volunteer. Imran and Akeel had a falling out many years before. The only non-Muslim character is Azeem’s longtime “real” British friend David (Andrew Hovelson; The Father), who also works at the bank. The playwright succeeds in capturing the difficulties of living in a society where one never feels welcome. He certainly does not idealize the Bhattis. Abuse, both physical and emotional, has been part of their family life. The parents and, to a large extent, the son are far from sympathetic, which posed a problem for me. The subplots about persuading first Akeel, then Saima, to attend religious retreats were confusing. I found the play was generally overstuffed and would be curious to see the 70-minute version. I was surprised to learn that no-one in the strong cast is a Muslim. Neil Patel’s (Time and the Conways) scenic design and Susan Hilferty's (Wicked, Present Laughter) costumes serve the play well. Jo Bonney (By the Way, Meet Vera Stark; Father Comes Home from the Wars) directs with her usual sure hand. Running time: 2 1/2 hours including intermission.