“Don’t Go Gentle” By Stephen Belber Directed by Lucie Tiberghien Reviewed by David Roberts Theatre Reviews Limited
When Dylan Thomas’s father was nearing death, the poet wrote in his now famous villanelle, “Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light.” After rehearsing how wise, good, wild, and grave men “burn and rave” at the close of their days, Thomas encourages his father to “Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.” Whatever occurred during their history, at the time of his father’s death, Dylan Thomas welcomed his father’s rage and anger, and cursing in addition to any paternal bestowed blessing.
In Stephen Belber’s fascinating and challenging play with a title derived (one would assume) from Dylan Thomas’s 1951 villanelle, there is no such father/daughter son reunion to be had for the dying Ben. In “Don’t Go Gentle,” currently playing at the Lucille Lortel Theatre as part of MCC Theatre’s 2012/13 Season, Ben’s adult children Lawrence and Amelia abandon him at the very time he perhaps needs them most. Or are they simply reacting in a logical way to what they perceive as Ben abandoning them?
The brilliance of Mr. Belber’s work (here and elsewhere) is his exacting skill in creating situations where delicious moral ambiguity resides. “Don’t Go Gentle” is so well written, that it often becomes difficult to discern who the protagonist is and who the antagonists are. This is not an easy task for a writer and Stephen Belber does it with grace and style.
Ben is a retired judge who is recovering from surgery after the “successful” removal of abdominal cancer and is most easily identified as the play’s protagonist is. His daughter Amelia lives with him and has become his primary caregiver. His addicted son Lawrence is visiting before starting a job-search and is staying for two weeks to help Amelia. Lawrence’s return to the family system causes frequent bursts of anger from son and father and a resurgence of Amelia’s long-time role as family system peace keeper.
All of this family angst is exacerbated when Ben agrees to help a young African American woman who was wrongly charged and whose recent brush with the law should have only been categorized as a misdemeanor. In Ben’s attempt to help Tanya he also assists her high school son Rasheed through some public school administrative bungling. And this new relationship results in Tanya and Rasheed moving in with Ben until Tanya can find a job and they find a home.
Why is this gesture of goodwill so explosive an issue? Apparently, Ben has not been the most attentive of fathers to Lawrence and Amelia and they, particularly Lawrence, feel resentment that Ben is now exhibiting “appropriate” fatherly generosity and care to two seeming strangers. This behavior results in Ben creating a trust that will give the family home to Tanya and Rasheed upon his death. This decision, when shared with his children, opens the very gates of hell.
Throughout “Don’t Go Gentle “and under Lucie Tiberghien’s skillful direction, actors David Wilson Barnes (Ben), Maxx Brawer (Rasheed), Michael Cristofer (Lawrence), Angela Lewis (Tanya), and Jennifer Mudge (Amelia) enliven and embolden Belber’s script so successfully that just as soon as the audience latches onto a character as heroic and bold, the script dashes him or her into the role of a cowardly antihero. For example, the audience has to decide (along with Tanya and Rasheed) whether Ben’s trust fund offer is is a genuine offer of support or a demeaning charitable offer from a guilt-ridden former judge. The exchanges after the turning point rival the action of the best video games. Characters scramble for cover as issues of race, sex, and money threaten to undo everything Ben has attempted to accomplish since meeting Tanya. Who here is guiltless and who is guilty? What motivates each character to do what she or he does? Who is right and who is wrong? Do those archaic mortal parameters even exist? Each actor serves the moral ambiguity of the piece with impeccable craft and leaves the audience wondering with whom to “side” and against whom to rail.
Robin Vest’s scenic design and Matthew Richards’ lighting design complement every move made on the stage. And the subtlety of Fabian Obispo’s sound design and original compositions is often as surprising as it is appropriately off-putting. Jenny Mannis’ costumes are spot on in every scene.
“Don’t Go Gentle” will not treat you gently: you will be required to put many preconceptions behind and face not only hidden truths as they unfold on the stage, but hidden truths that reside deep in the hearts and minds of all in the audience. Please do not miss this important play.
DON’T GO GENTLE
“Don’t Go Gentle” is presented by MCC THEATER (Robert LuPone, Bernard Telsey, William Cantler, Artistic Directors; Blake West, Executive Director) and directed by Lucie Tiberghien. Scenic Design is by Robin Vest, Costume Design is by Jenny Mannis, Lighting Design is by Matthew Richards, and Sound Design and Original Compositions are by Fabian Obispo.
WITH: David Wilson Barnes (Ben), Maxx Brawer (Rasheed), Michael Cristofer (Lawrence), Angela Lewis (Tanya), and Jennifer Mudge (Amelia).
Performances began at the Lucille Lortel Theatre (121 Christopher Street, NYC) on September 27, 2012 and continue through November 4, 2012. Tickets for “Don’t Go Gentle” are $59 and are available by visiting www.mcctheater.org or calling 212-352-3101. Tickets for “Really Really” (January 31 – March 10, 2013) and “Small Engine Repair” (May 16 – June 23, 2013) will go on-sale at a later date. Season subscriptions for all three 2012-2013 mainstage productions are priced at $115-$155 and are now available by visiting www.mcctheater.org. Additionally, MCC Theater offers a $60 “Under 30” subscription for patrons 30 years or younger as of September 27, 2012.
Permalink | Posted by David Roberts on Thursday, October 25, 2012
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