Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Theater Review: The Submission

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 Jonathan Groff and Rutina Wesley. Photo © Joan Marcus
The Submission
By Jeff Talbott
Directed by Walter Bobbie
MCC Theater

Summary:
Danny (Jonathan Groff) finally has one of his plays accepted for production in a prestigious play festival, but there's just one problem. The author's name is not his. It's Shaleeha G’ntamobi, a "Black" sounding women's he made up because he was sure that if he used his own name, the play would be rejected. After all, no one would believe that a young, gay, white guy could truly understand the plight of the black woman trying to get out of the projects. He hires actress Emilie (Rutina Wesley, know to TV's "True Blood" fans) to play the part of the author and he coaches her as she attends rehearsals and oversees rewrites as the play is produced.

At first, things seem to go well and Danny's partner, Pete (Eddie Kaye Thomas) and best friend, Trevor (Will Rogers) enjoy adding another friend to their circle. Things get complicated, however, when Emilie and Trevor tangle romantically, and Emilie and Danny start to clash on controlling aspects of the play. After a while, it's not clear who, if anyone, has an exclusive claim on prejudice.

Highlights:
Tight direction and strong performances. Emilie and Danny get in each others' faces about every kind of prejudice. Laugh-out-loud, make-you squirm stuff you have heard or thought, and particularly amusing if you work in theater. Talbott's first play is full of sizzling dialogue, clever turns of phrase and a welcome boldness. Thoroughly enjoyable.

Lowlights:
After a brisk pace, the ending seems a little stretched out.

Other information:
The Submission runs Off-Broadway at the Lucille Lortel Theatre, 121 Christopher St., NYC through Oct. 22. Tickets:  (212) 352 3101.

Christians might also like to know:
Language
God's name taken in vain
Homosexuality
Homosexual activity
Sexual content
Posted by Lauren Yarger at 8:27 PM

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My Bio

Lauren Yarger is Executive Director/Producer with Masterwork Productions, Inc. She 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 2000 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.

Yarger trained for three years in the Broadway League’s Producer Development Program, completed the Commercial Theater Institute's Producing Three-Day Training and produced a one-woman musical about Mary Magdalene that toured nationally and closed with an off-Broadway run.

In 2008 she was a Fellow at the National Critics Institute at the O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford, CT. She writes reviews of Broadway and off-Broadway theater with an added Christian perspective for Masterwork Productions 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 is a contributing editor for BroadwayWorld.com and previously served as Connecticut theater editor for CurtainUp and as Connecticut and New York reviewer for American Theater Web.

Yarger is a book reviewer for Publishers Weekly and freelances for other sites. She is a member of the National Book Critics Circle.

She is a freelance writer and playwright and member of The Drama Desk, The Outer Critics Circle, The American Theater Critics Association and The League of Professional Theatre Women. She is a judge for the SDX Awards presented by the Society of Professional Journalists. She also is a member of the CT Press Club, the Connecticut SPJ and the Connecticut Critics Circle.

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 and the Hartford Symphony Orchestra. She lives with her husband in West Granby, CT. They have two adult children.

Copyright

All material is copyright 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 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.

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.

Our Reviewing Policy

Our reviewer Lauren Yarger receives free tickets to Broadway and Off-Broadway shows made available to all voting members of the Outer Critics Circle and The Drama Desk, the two professional critics organizations with journalists covering NY theater. Journalistically, she provides an unbiased review and is under no obligation to make positive statements. Sometimes shows do not make tickets available to reviewers. If these are shows our readers want to know about (we review all Broadway shows and pertinent Off-Broadway shows), Masterworks purchases a ticket.

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