Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Theater Review: Race

David Alan Grier, Richard Thomas, Kerry Washington,
James Spader. Photo: Robert J. Saferstein.
It’s Off to the Races: Black and White
By Lauren Yarger
A black woman accuses a rich white man of rape. Can a law firm with a black partner get him off? There’s a chance if his white partner can stage a dramatic defense; not so much so if the firm’s black junior associate sells him out to the prosecution to convict someone she’s sure must be guilty simply because he’s white.

Lots of prejudices, recognized and hidden, meet at the starting gate and David Mamet’s tightly written Broadway production, Race, is off.

Charles Strickland (Richard Thomas) is the accused who adamantly denies that the hotel room sexual encounter between him and the black woman crying rape was anything but consensual. Henry Brown (David Alan Grier), the firm’s African-American partner, doesn’t believe him and wants to pass on the case, but African-American associate Susan (Kerry Washington) makes a “mistake” that lists the firm as attorney of record and there’s no way out of it. Brown’s white partner Jack Lawson (James Spader) isn’t sure Strickland’s case is a lost cause, however, especially when he finds some crucial information that might prove his client’s innocence.

The dialogue is signature Mamet, though the ping-pong effect is controlled and, unlike most of the other female characters in Mamet’s plays, Susan gets to take a few volleys and is an integral part of the plot. Mamet directs his work somewhat awkwardly at times, as the characters seem to be walking around just for the sake of moving. Spader and Grier are terrific, however, with the fast pace, laugh-out-loud, bigotry-skewering funny lines and Washington holds her own as the victim/manipulator who really controls much of the case.

Thomas, however, is quite a disappointment, delivering a wooden performance that looks like an amateur failing at an audition. We’re told that Strickland is supposed to be a reserved individual, but Thomas’ characterization is so without emotion that we disengage, not caring whether the stiff-as-aboard guy is guilty or not and wondering whether he has an actual board nailed to his back under a suit that’s far too ill-fitting for someone with enough money to afford the best tailors (Tom Broecker, costume design).

Also disappointing is an interruption of the pace twice during the only 100 minutes of action, first by an intermission and second by a planned pause between scenes. Mamet would have given the play greater impact with an uninterrupted one-act.

The complaints pale in comparison to the snappy dialogue and thought-provoking subject matter, however, as long as you don’t buy into the “all-whites-think-this” or “all-blacks-think-that” predispositions of the characters.

Race plays at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, 243 w. 47th St., NYC. Discounted tickets for friends of Masterworks may be purchased here. Make sure you indicate in the left column on the Givenik page that Masterwork Productions is the religious charity you wish to support.

Christians might also like to know:
• Language
• Sexual dialogue
The show posts a mature advisory.

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Our reviews are professional reviews written without a religious bias. At the end of them, you can find a listing of language, content or theological issues that Christians might want to know about when deciding which shows to see.

** Mature indicates that the show has posted an advisory because of content. Usually this means I would recommend no one under the age of 16 attend.

Theater Critic Lauren Yarger

Theater Critic Lauren Yarger

My Bio

Lauren Yarger has written, directed and produced numerous shows and special events for both secular and Christian audiences. She co-wrote a Christian musical version of “A Christmas Carol” which played to sold-out audiences of over 3,000 in Vermont and was awarded the Vermont Bessie (theater and film awards) for “People’s Choice for Theatre.” She also has written two other dinner theaters, sketches for church services and devotions for Christian artists. Her play concept, "From Reel to Real: The Jennifer O'Neill Story" was presented as part of the League of professional Theatre Women's Julia's reading Room Series in New York. Shifting from reviewing to producing, Yarger owns Gracewell Productions, which produced the Table Reading Series at the Palace Theater in Waterbury, CT. She trained for three years in the Broadway League’s Producer Development Program, completed the Commercial Theater Institute's Producing Intensive and other training and produced a one-woman musical about Mary Magdalene that toured nationally and closed with an off-Broadway run. She was a Fellow at the National Critics Institute at the O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford, CT. She wrote reviews of Broadway and Off-Broadway theater (the only ones you can find in the US with an added Christian perspective) at http://reflectionsinthelight.blogspot.com/.

She is editor of The Connecticut Arts Connection (http://ctarts.blogspot.com), an award-winning website featuring theater and arts news for the state. She was a contributing editor for BroadwayWorld.com. She previously served as theater reviewer for the Manchester Journal-Inquirer, Connecticut theater editor for CurtainUp.com and as Connecticut and New York reviewer for American Theater Web.

She is a Co-Founder of the Connecticut Chapter of the League of Professional Theatre Women. She is a former vice president and voting member of The Drama Desk.

She is a freelance writer and playwright (member Dramatists Guild of America). She is a member if the The Outer Critics Circle (producer of the annual awards ceremony) and a member of The League of Professional Theatre Women, serving as Co-Founder of the Connecticut Chapter. Yarger was a book reviewer for Publishers Weekly A former newspaper editor and graduate of the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism, Yarger also worked in arts management for the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra and served for nine years as the Executive Director of Masterwork Productions, Inc. She lives with her husband in West Granby, CT. They have two adult children.

Copyright

All material is copyright 2008- 2022 by Lauren Yarger. Reviews and articles may not be reprinted without permission. Contact reflectionsinthelight@gmail.com

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Key to Content Notes:

God's name taken in vain -- means God or Jesus is used in dialogue without speaking directly to or about them.

Language -- means some curse words are used. "Minor" usually means the words are not too strong or that it only occurs once or twice throughout the show.

Strong Language -- means some of the more heavy duty curse words are used.

Nudity -- means a man or woman's backside, a man's lower front or a woman's front are revealed.

Scantily clad -- means actors' private areas are technically covered, but I can see a lot of them.

Sexual Language -- means the dialogue contains sexually explicit language but there's no action.

Sexual Activity -- means a man and woman are performing sexual acts.

Adultery -- Means a married man or woman is involved sexually with someone besides their spouse. If this is depicted with sexual acts on stage, the list would include "sexual activity" as well.

Sex Outside of Marriage -- means a man and woman are involved sexually without being married. If this is depicted sexually on stage, the list would include "sexual activity" as well.

Homosexuality -- means this is in the show, but not physically depicted.

Homosexual activity -- means two persons of the same sex are embracing/kissing. If they do more than that, the list would include "sexual activity" as well.

Cross Dresser -- Means someone is dressing as the opposite sex. If they do more than that on stage the listing would include the corresponding "sexual activity" and/or "homosexual activity" as well.

Cross Gender -- A man is playing a female part or a woman is playing a man's part.

Suggestive Dancing -- means dancing contains sexually suggestive moves.

Derogatory (category added Fall 2012) Language or circumstances where women or people of a certain race are referred to or treated in a negative and demeaning manner.

Other content matters such as torture, suicide, or rape will be noted, with details revealed only as necessary in the review itself.

The term "throughout" added to any of the above means it happens many times throughout the show.

Reviewing Policy

I receive free seats to Broadway and Off-Broadway shows made available to all voting members of the Outer Critics Circle. Journalistically, I provide an unbiased review and am under no obligation to make positive statements. Sometimes shows do not make tickets available to reviewers. If these are shows my readers want to know about I will purchase a ticket. If a personal friend is involved in a production, I'll let you know, but it won't influence a review. If I feel there is a conflict, I won't review their portion of the production.

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