Underground Railroad Game

B+

Since winning the Obie in 2017 for “best new American theatre work,” this hilariously discomfiting examination of race, sex and power by Jennifer Kidwell (A Hard Time) and Scott R. Sheppard (The Appointment) has been on an extended domestic and international tour. Now it is back in New York at Ars Nova’s new downtown base at Barrow Street Theatre for an encore run. It is clearly not for everyone. If you are offended by nudity, depiction of sexual fantasies and/or rough language, you should skip this one. The two creators, who are also the entire cast, play middle school teachers — the black Caroline and the white Stuart — who are introducing their students to a participatory unit on the Civil War. To enliven things, they have created the titular game in which Union soldiers get points for rescuing escaped slaves while Confederate troops win points for capturing them. (Sheppard actually experienced such a game in fifth grade.) The audience is occasionally induced to be the student body at an assembly. Each audience member has either a grey or blue toy soldier taped beneath the seat. The audience involvement is minor and too mild to be annoying. As the unit progresses, Caroline and Stuart cautiously begin a relationship. The chasm between them grows as unexpected lessons are learned. The play, which jumps rapidly from the lesson plan to fantasies and surreal episodes, is so crammed with material that it is hard to believe that it is only 75 minutes long. The design credit is divided between Tillly Grimes (The Government Inspector) for production and Steven Dufala for scenic. I don’t know who did what, but the result is highly effective, as is Oona Curley’s (Good Grief) lighting. Director Taibi Magar (Blue Ridge) holds all the diverse elements together skillfully. The actors are both amazing. Since they are also the authors, they have no one to blame but themselves for what they are put through. I was alternately amused, annoyed, shocked and baffled. I don’t know whether you will love it or hate it, but I can guarantee that you won’t be bored. NOTE: Except for the last two rows, the auditorium is unraked so an unobstructed view is a matter of luck.

Blue Ridge

B-

Atlantic Theater Company is presenting the world premiere of Abby Rosebrock’s (Dido of Idaho) drama set in a church-sponsored halfway house in the mountains of western North Carolina. I don’t know much about halfway houses, but I found it surprising that the residents were there for such varied problems as opioid addiction, alcoholism, mental illness and anger management. The main focus is on the self-destructive Alison (Marin Ireland; Summer and Smoke, The Big Knife), a devoted high school English teacher at the local high school who, after a long affair with her married principal, attacked his car with an axe and was sentenced to a six-month stay there. She immediately befriends Cherie (Kristolyn Lloyd; Paradise Blue, Dear Evan Hansen), another high school teacher, who is a recovering alcoholic voluntarily there. Cherie is black, but her race does not seem to be a significant issue for anyone. She likes it at the group home and thinks she might switch to a career in social work or public health. Wade (Kyle Beltran; The Fortress of Solitude, Gloria) became addicted to prescribed drugs after a work accident. and blames some of his problems on his mixed race. Cole (Peter Mark Kendall; Six Degrees of Separation, The Harvest) has just been discharged from a mental institution; his reasons for being institutionalized never become sufficiently clear. The founders and staff of the home are Hern (Chris Stack; Ugly Lies the Bone), a white pastor, and Grace (Nicole Lewis; Hair, Sense and Sensibility), his black colleague. The residents not only must hold day jobs in the community but must also undertake service projects as part of their treatment. We see the six interact, mainly at a series of bible study meetings. The lyrics of Carrie Underwood songs are cited. Wade gets to sing and play the guitar. The first act builds slowly to a surprising climax that I did not see coming. The second act features a gripping emotional meltdown, but then spins its wheels and ends on an unsatisfying note. Adam Rigg’s (Fabulation, The House That Will Not Stand) set presents the home’s nondescript living room with a hint of evergreen trees peeking through the vertical blinds. The set is surrounded by a frame that lights up brightly between scenes. Sarah Laux’s (The Band’s Visit, The Humans) costumes suit the characters well. Director Taibi Magar (The Great Leap) shows an affinity for the material. For me the opportunity to see Marin Ireland emote was reason enough to attend. The rest of the fine cast more than holds its own onstage with her. At its best moments, the play is quite gripping. It’s just good enough that one wishes it were even better. Running time: two hours including intermission.

The Great Leap

C+

This interesting new play at Atlantic Theater Company’s Stage 2  is just good enough that one wishes it were better. Playwright Lauren Yee (Cambodian Rock Band) displays a knack for sketching vivid characters and situations with dramatic potential. The action is mainly set in San Francisco and Beijing in the early summer of 1989. Saul (Ned Eisenberg; Awake and Sing!) is the coach of a failing collegiate basketball team who has been invited to bring his team to China to play an exhibition game with a Chinese team. Saul had been there 18 years before to help the Chinese improve their basketball skills. During that stay he befriended his translator Wen Chang (BD Wong; M. Butterfly, Pacific Overtures) and taught him enough about basketball to become a coach. Wen never forgot Saul’s remark that no Chinese team could ever defeat an American team and is out to prove him wrong. Manford (Tony Aidan Vo; Sea Wife) is a motor-mouthed 17-year-old high school senior who, despite being vertically challenged, is a basketball whiz determined to join Saul’s team and make the trip to Beijing. Connie (Ali Ahn; The Heidi Chronicles) is his cousin who really doesn’t have much to do except fill in some of the exposition. With no disrespect to the actor, I think the play would be stronger without her character. The game just happens to take place in the midst of the Tianenman Square uprising. Some of the other coincidences came across as a little too pat for me. I suspect you will guess some of the secrets before they are revealed. The three male characters all get a chance to shine. Eisenberg makes the most of the over-the-hill Bronx exile who cannot get a sentence out without a handful of four-letter words. Vo captures Manford’s relentless drive cloaked in amiability.  Wong has the least showy but most nuanced role as a man who has tried all his life never to stand out. The scenic design by Takeshi Kata (The Profane, Man from Nebraska), which consists mainly of a section of a basketball court, is augmented by projections by David Bengali (Van Gogh's Ear). Tilly Grimes’s (Underground Railroad Game) costumes are apt. The direction by Taibi Magar (Is God Is) is unfussy. There are some fine moments, but they are too few. Running time: one hour 55 minutes including intermission.