Theater Review: Detroit

Who is Our Neighbor?
By Lauren Yarger
A young woman excitedly thanks her new neighbor for extending a backyard barbecue invitation to her and her husband.

"This is is awesome. It is so awesome. I mean who invites their neighbors over for dinner anymore?" she gushes.

". . .We don’t have any friends," her host responds absentmindedly.

With that brilliant exchange of dialogue, playwright Lisa D'Amour brings into focus the crux of her new play, Detroit, which is getting a New York run Off-Broadway at Playwrights Horizons. The natural-sounding exchange with its nuanced probe into relationships in modern culture also is one reason why this play, which received its world premiere at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company (in a different production), was a finalist for last year's Pulitzer Prize for drama.

It's rich in character, dialogue and thought-provoking commentary on the society in which we live. Anne Kauffmann directs powerhouse performances from Darren Pettie, Amy Ryan (TV's "The Office," "The Wire,"),  David Schwimmer ("Friends"), Sarah Sokolovic (The Shaggs: Philosophy of the World at Playwrights) and Tony-Award winner John Cullum.

Mary (Ryan), a needy and uptight customer service operator is not shy about voicing her disapproval of laid-off banker husband Ben (Schwimmer) and his plans to run a financial counseling business from home. Laid back Ben doesn't appear concerned about or aware of too much, really, except getting those "puppies" -- steaks and hamburgers -- on the grill.

Enter new neighbors Sharon (Sokolovic) and Kenny (Pettie). They've just moved into Kenny's uncle's house next door where they hope to get a fresh start on life following the completion of rehabilitation programs for substance abuse. Sharon is so moved by the new "friendship" with her neighbors that she cries. This vulnerability prompts Mary to feel she can share some of the pent up frustration and longing to escape that she feels with her new "friend." To her dismay, however, Sharon's "user" eye quickly identifies Mary's coping mechanism -- alcohol. And Ben, actually, might be doing some abusing of his own.

The relationship continues to develop in an awkward and forced manner with more "puppies" on the grill. Ben offers his financial advice to Kenny who agrees to act as a test client for the new business. Mary and Sharon make plans to go on a camping trip in the mountains. All the while, Ben and Mary continue to wonder about their neighbors who still have no furniture in their house.

After a night of wild partying, the relationship enters a new reality, put into persepctive by Kenny's uncle Frank (Cullum) who stops by. In a casting coup, Kauffman has the excellent Broadway actor Cullum (Shenandoah, On the Twentieth Century, Urinetown, 110 in the Shade and On a Clear Day You Can See Forever), who masterfully creates a character in just seconds and delivers the show's funniest line. He's only there for a few minutes, but he grounds all of the zany circumstances and makes us think, "who really is our neighbor" and "just how well do we know any of them or ourselves?"

D'Amour's engaging play is full of sharp dialgue and humor (Schwimmer in particular, had me laughing with facial expressions indicating silent thoughts about his rather bizarre neighbors.) The play is a brisk one hour and 40 minutes and from start to finish, no matter how bizarre or lost the people on stage might seem, we know deep down, they are us. This could be happening to any of us who live in a "first ring" suburb in a mid-size American city, where Detroit is set according to the program. Back when these developments were built, people lived in houses with their families, had their friends over for dinner and lived the "American Dream." Times have changed and the people living in the houses now live very different lives.

The front and backs of the houses are a product of the creative team, right down to suburban sound effects:  Scenic Design, Louisa Thompson; Costume Design, Kaye Voyce; Lighting Design, Mark Barton; Sound Design Matt Tierney.

Detroit has been extended through Oct. 28. Don't miss an opportunity to see this play, which besides being considered for the Pulitzer, also was a finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize given to women playwrights.

The performance schedule: Now-Oct 7, Oct. 16-28* Playwrights Horizons Mainstage Theater, 416 West 42nd St., NYC; Tuesday at 7 pm, Wednesday through Friday at 8 pm, Saturday at 2:30 and 8 pm, and Sunday at 2:30 and 7:30pm. Wednesday matinees Sept. 26 and Oct. 3. Tickets: 212-279-4200 noon to 8 pm daily; online at  www.TicketCentral.com. For more information about Playwrights Horizons, visit http://playwrightshorizons.org/index2.asp.

*PLEASE NOTE: In extension weeks, understudies may appear.

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-- Sexual dialogue and moves