What: Clubbed Thumb's Obie-winning production of Abe Koogler's play transfers to The Public.
And? Between this and Staff Meal, Abe Koogler is now a must-watch playwright for me. I adored this strange little play: part presentational, as if we're watching a very disorganized town council meeting; part deeply intimate, as if we're seeing scenes of vulnerability not meant to be witnessed. Ostensibly about a group of islanders in the Pacific Northwest trying to solve what happened to their missing pod of orcas, it's also about what each character is willing to make part of their public witnessed self, as opposed to what they insist on holding so close to the vest almost no one sees it. So we have Ella, sick and planning for her death but refusing to warn her closest friends; we have Mayor Annie, brittle in her attempts to lead the committee and unsure how to guide her son's passion for dance; Les, who struggles and struggles to make connections both local and long-distance but who knows enough to sally forth solo when she has to; John, who wants to help but doesn't know how to break past the binds of polite behavior. And we have whimsy and heartbreak, and so many [redacted because this is a spoiler but it made me cry when it happened]. Arin Arbus ably directs a powerhouse ensemble featuring the always piercing Maryann Plunkett, the consistently surprising and wonderful Miriam Silverman, and the monologue master Mia Katigbak. Also shoutout to dots for their rabbit-in-a-hat scenic design.
Thank you, Clubbed Thumb. I needed this show.
 |
| Crystal Finn, Maryann Plunkett, Arnie Burton, and Miriam Silverman as Mayor Annie, Ella, John, and Mary. Photo by Maria Baranova. |
3/04/25: Purpose
What: Branden Jacobs-Jenkins's new play, transferred from Steppenwolf: one of those plays where a family fractures as skeletons are confronted.
And? Really truly wonderful performances, especially from Jon Michael Hill and Kara Young, and the direction is well-paced. But I don't think this play needed to be the three hours it was, and I didn't leave with as clear a sense of something to think about as I sometimes do with BJJ's plays. There are some strong moments, but it doesn't add up to as much as I wanted it to.
.jpg) |
| The cast of the Steppenwolf (pre-Broadway) run of Purpose. Photo by Michael Brosilow. |
3/06/25: Buena Vista Social Club
What: The Broadway transfer of the hit Off-Broadway jukebox musical about the members of the music group Buena Vista Social Club, their origins in 1950s Cuba before the revolution, and their reunion and forming of the group to record the titular album.
And? The script is pretty thin: just enough to get us from song to song. But the music is all well-performed, and I imagine thrilling for those who are already fans of this group and this music. Treat it like a concert and you'll have a good enough time. Expect a play with complex ideas and you'll leave at intermission like the grump sitting next to me who kept checking his watch and muttering unhappily.
 |
| The company of Buena Vista Social Club. Photo by Matthew Murphy. |
3/07/25: SUMO
What: The Public presents Lisa Sanaye Dring's new play about a sumo heya, the rise of its newest apprentice, and the deep spiritual meaning behind Sumo.
And? I loved it. Engaging from start to finish, tense and emotional and funny and exceptionally performed by the whole ensemble. It manages to thread the line of inviting the western audience into the world of Sumo without becoming a didactic lesson. Yes, the performers are all too small to be true Sumo wrestlers, but once you let go of that inaccuracy, it's a great show.
 |
| Viet Vo, Ahmad Kamal, and Kris Bona. Photo by Joan Marcus. |
No comments:
Post a Comment