Cardinal

C

Greg Pierce’s (Slowgirl, Kid Victory) new work, commissioned by Second Stage Theater, could have used a few more workshops before it reached the stage of their Terry Kiser Theater. What begins as a look at what happens when a moribund upstate New York town decides literally to paint the town red to attract tourist dollars soon loses it way in a forest of subplots that jostle each other without coming together in any satisfying way. Leading the push for the paint job is prodigal daughter Lydia Lensky (Anna Chlumsky; You Can’t Take It With You, “Veep”), who has returned to her home town after an unsuccessful career as a band manager in Brooklyn. The young mayor Jeff Torm (Adam Pally; “Happy Endings”) just happens to be the jilted ex-boyfriend of her sister. The owner of the failing local bakery Nancy Prenchel (the aptly named Becky Ann Baker; Good People, Barbecue) and her developmentally challenged son Nat (Alex Hurt; Love, Love, Love, Placebo) are opposed to the proposal. Down in Manhattan’s Chinatown, entrepreneur Li-Wei Chen (Stephen Park; Aubergine) sees The Red City as an investment opportunity. His son Jason (Eugene Young; “Veep”) shows more interest in Lydia than in the family business. The focus shifts back and forth from Lydia and Jeff’s bumpy affair to the tragic impact of change on Nancy and Nat to the battle of wits between Lydia and Li-Wei to the unlikely alliance between Lydia and Jason. Is it a rom-com? Is it a serious look at urban displacement? Is it a commentary on racial stereotyping? It appears that the playwright could not decide and he eventually paints himself into a corner. I found the central character of Lydia annoying and her motivations unclear. Chlumsky and Pally apparently have a big fan base from their television work and were greeted enthusiastically when they first appeared. Baker and Hurt are both strong. Derek McLane’s (The Parisian Woman) simple set features gray brick walls with arched windows and doorways. Jennifer Moeller’s (Aubergine) costumes are apt. Kate Whoriskey (Sweat) is a fine director, but she can’t supply coherence where none exists. Despite its faults, the play has many entertaining moments and it held my interest throughout. I wish it had been given more time to find its way before getting a New York premiere. Running time: 95 minutes, no intermission.

Aubergine *** B

Julia Cho’s new play at Playwrights Horizons is a flawed, uneven work, but it packs an emotional wallop. Ray (Tim Kang), an assimilated Korean-American chef, moves in with his estranged father (Stephen Park) to care for him during his final days. Ray’s former girlfriend Cornelia (Sue Jean Kim) forgives him and pitches in to help. Lucien (Michael Potts), a refugee from a war-torn African country, is the kindly, helpful home hospice nurse. Ray’s uncle (Joseph Steven Yang) flies in from Korea as soon as hears about his brother’s condition. Diane (Jessica Love) is a wealthy foodie who appears in the opening and final scenes (and, in my humble opinion, should be excised). A common thread that stitches the play together is the important role of food in our memories and family relationships. Each character gets a food-centered monologue. Some of the dialog is in Korean with translations projected on the rear wall. There are many engaging moments, but they don’t fit together all that well. Some trimming would improve the play, especially dropping the facile ending. Derek McLane’s high-concept scenic design is dominated by a huge semicircular wooden wall that looks like the side of a huge vat. It parts and swings away to reveal a semicircular interior with partial concentric rings. The circle of life, perhaps? Jennifer Moeller’s costumes are appropriate to each character. Kate Whoriskey’s direction is a bit sluggish at times. Don’t see it when you are hungry. You also might want to avoid it you have recently faced or are about to face the loss of a loved one. Running time: 2 hours 10 minutes including intermission.