10/05/22: Topdog/Underdog
What: A revival of Suzan-Lori Parks' Pulitzer-winning play about the rivalry of two brothers, Lincoln and Booth, nursing a deep-seated rivalry and constantly renavigating which brother is topdog, and which underdog.
And? I saw the original Broadway run, which began my lifelong fandom of Jeffrey Wright, and was excited to now see the show with older, more seasoned eyes. Y'all, it makes such a difference when the two actors are on equal footing. In 2002, Wright acted circles around his costar, but here Corey Hawkins (Lincoln, the elder brother) and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Booth, the younger) are both in the same play and on the same page. And they're fantastic. I may have minor notes (Abdul-Mateen's final monologue isn't quite there yet but I think he'll get there) but the entire scene leading up to that monologue is a perfect blend of tension, humor, one-upmanship, and the ecstasy of two performers at the height of their craft. Design-wise I want to pay special note to the way Allen Lee Hughes's lighting design interacts with the show curtains of Arnulfo Maldonado's scenic design: transforming what in one light looked dowdy and aged into shimmery satin and velvet, sudden opulence framing Booth's seedy studio apartment. On this revisit to the play I have to say it's not a story I particularly enjoy (pipe dream motifs just make me get mad at Eugene O'Neill. Just, in general), but it is still a stellar production, and watching Corey Hawkins selling the full scam of Three-card Monte with virtuosity and charisma (nod to Deceptive Practices, who consulted on the production) is really something else.
What: Manhattan Repertory Theater presents a new play by David Harms about the power dynamics when a high-powered female law partner has an affair with a younger male associate.
And? ambitious but confused. full review here.
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| Laura Shoop as Regan Van Riper. Photo by Cameryn Kaman. |
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