As the play begins, the family argues politics. (l to r) Peter Friedman, Mare Winningham, Mark Blum, Photo by T. Charles Erickson.
“In 1940′s Greenwich Village, you could throw a stone and hit a communist spy.” – After the Revolution
When you think of a revolution, you probably envision George Washington leading his ragtag army against the redcoats, or Lenin and the Bolsheviks in 1917 Russia. But in the days of the Great Depression and WWII America there was another political revolution gathering steam, one of the have-nots vs. the well off. Amy Herzon sets her play in 1999 America, long after that revolution fizzled out. The infamous Senator Joe McCarthy pretty much killed it. It pains me to give the old drunk credit, but it marked the beginning of the end for dreams of a communist America. The truth about the Soviet Union under Stalin put the lid on the coffin. I saw that truth for myself when I visited Russia during the cold war.
Still the embers linger on, and as After the Revolution opens, we find one family talking politics, barely hearing one another, but at least trying (and often failing) to keep the facts in mind, the rhetoric to a minimum.
The boyfriend is also an employee. Elliot Villar, Katharine Powell, Photo by T. Charles Erickson.
A phone call, and a bombshell is introduced: A book will soon reveal that Grandpa was a Russian spy while working for the U.S. Government during WWII.
This distresses Dad (Ben – Michael Driedman) because he never told his daughter (Emma – Katherine Powell) this particular fact.
It seems Emma runs the civil rights focused “Joe Joseph Foundation” named after her firebrand grandfather for his refusal to name names to the Army-McCarthy inquisitors. Few knew he acted as a spy. Soon dad informs Emma, who receives this explosive information with shock, dismay and confusion.
This upturns her image of him, from radical American to despicable traitor and she is furious that this paradigm shifting fact was withheld from her all these years. Her life’s work is now in jeopardy, and she must deal with the impending release of a book that could destroy her Foundation, and undermine her own future.
All of this happens in the first twenty minutes of the play’s opening, and we spend the balance of the evening watching Emma go into meltdown, become paralyzed and finally deal with the revelation. While the drama is over a political secret, we see a human drama unfold. You can put a bandage on a serious wound and hope it heals, or you can deal with it by thoroughly examining, cleaning and properly dressing the wound to allow it to heal. So it is with families, too.
Mom and Dad try to work it out. Mare Winningham, Peter Friedman, Photo by Sam Hough.
Oh Dad, Poor Dad, he flounders around trying to find a way to ameliorate Emma’s disappointment in him, but his shoot-from-the-hip style only makes things worse.
As an audience, we are drawn into this family’s struggle to stay together through the more casual Uncle Leo (Mark Blum) who prefers baseball to politics, dotty and forgetful Grandma Vera (Lois Smith), and sister Jess (Meredith Holzman) fresh from rehab. Yes, this family has the same issues as many others, though we don’t hear many details about them during the course of the play.
Despite the enormous number of words that are spilled trying to achieve reconciliation with the wounded Emma, none work as wisely or well as that of an outsider to the family, a donor to the Joe Joseph Foundation named Morty (David Margulies) . His role is pivotal and he listens gently, then patiently tries to help set things right. In the midst of a family crisis over trust, he offers Emma support and some suggestions as to the way out of the dilemma.
The play has a couple of minor bombshells to drop beside the news that grandpa was a spy. Turns out that grandma was open to a lesbian relationship that was never consummated, Mom was arrested for civil disobedience but was rejected by Grandpa because it was not for a politically correct cause, and boyfriend-employee Miguel wonders about the real relationship he has with Emma.
In the end all the loose ends seem to get tied together pretty neatly, and the two act play has passed quickly before our eyes.
Grandma tries to soothe, but even she misses the point. Katharine Powell, Lois Smith, Photo by T. Charles Erickson.
There are two reasons for this: superb acting, and the brilliant staging of director Carolyn Cantor. The action takes place in a variety of locations, but instead of revolving sets and furniture pieces being constantly moved into and away from view, various seating clusters were employed.
You can pretty much see the setup in the lead photo. Scenic designer Clint Ramos and lighting designer Ben Stanton worked with the company to highlight each episodic moment in the life of this family. In the background shelves of books, images of Mumia Abu-Jamal and household supplies suggested what was important.
Each scene illuminated a different array of them. In some ways it was like cutting from one scene to the next in a film, and it worked smoothly.
Amy Herzog is part of a new generation of writers who are able to bridge the worlds of stage, film and television in her writing, and with the detailed technical help of the lighting designer, is able to suggest close ups and wide shots by defining different playing areas. When mom and dad have a heart to heart, the lit area shrinks, and the placement of the hands and heads clearly produces the effect of a medium close up as all attention zooms in to the resultant scene of love and caring.
Sibling revelry. Meredith Holzman, Katharine Powell, Photo by T. Charles Erickson.
As Emma, Katharine Powell brings her hurt and confusion to the fore, and her lengthy period of pouting allows other characters, like the boyfriend played by Elliot Villar to have their share of the spotlight. Meredith Holzman was fine as Jess, her sister, but needs to work on her diction and vocal projection. In this unamplified performance – a wonderful treat in the intimate Niko Theatre – I heard every word distinctly except about ten percent of hers, those she delivered towards stage left when I was seated in the opposite side of the theatre.
I relished the delightful and detailed performance of Lois Smith as grandma Vera. Part of it was the fact that she got the details of her portrayal exactly right. I know a lot of people like the character she played, and she it on the nose.
Peter Friedman as Ben the father, and Mark Blum as Uncle Leo also did a fine job as the men in the family, though they were a bit one-dimensional. It is hard to believe that all they cared about is politics and baseball and were unable to fathom Emma’s dilemma from her viewpoint. Then again, that rings true for a lot of people, doesn’t it.
Morty the magnificent. Katharine Powell, David Margulies, Photo by T. Charles Erickson.
I am unsure whether it was the acting of David Margulies as Morty that touched me so deeply, or the author’s thoughts he delivered as the foundation benefactor. Indeed, some of the good feeling towards his character comes at the end of the play when Emma speaks of an anonymous benefactor who will replace any funds that are refunded. In his brief scenes with Emma, he is the patient, understand and helpful one, letting her vent and vacillate, then quietly offering her gentle guidance to accept or reject as she sees fit. Margulies played the mentor so many of us wish we had growing up, and proves that sometimes people from outside our own families understand us best.
So we come to the final paragraphs and the overall determination of whether this new play is worth your time and attention. If you don’t go to the theatre much and tend to follow Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck, it will make you furious, and reinforce all sorts of stereotypes. But if Rachal Maddow and Frank Rich are your cup of tea, this is a helpful look at an earlier time, a backstory that sheds light on today’s political scene.
Yet the reason to see this play is not for the politics, but for the family. It is not a dysfunctional one in the traditional sense, but it does use politics in place of love as the carrot and stick. Yet there is caring hiding underneath all the talk. The talk of revolutions and radical politics is just their way of getting to the human revelations. Just as Death of a Salesman teaches us the importance of not deceiving ourselves, and keeping up with the times, After the Revolution focuses on the importance of being truthful, and the folly of keeping family secrets from other members of the family. But even more than trust, this is a play about forgiveness, reconciliation and love and for that reason alone you must see it.
Williamstown Theatre Festival pressents After the Revolution by Amy Herzon , directed by Carolyn Cantor, Scenic Design – Clint Ramos, Costume Design – Kaye Voyce, Lighting Design – Ben Stanton, Original Music and Sound – Fitz Patton. Cast: Ben – Peter Friedman, Mel – Mare Winningham, Leo – Mark Blum, Vera – Lois Smith, Emma – Katherine Powell, Miguel – Elliot Villar, Morty – David Margulies, Waiter – Will Crouse, Jess – Meredith Holzman. At the Nikos Stage, Williamstown, MA About two hours with intermission. July 21 – August 1, 2010. www.wtfestival.org/
