During my trip, I visited 23 in the United States, but never Idaho. A quick search reveals its nickname: Gem Status, which is one-quarter of New York City’s population. Frankly, there may be no need to fly to Boise; Samuel D. Hunter I took me there many times. Over the past 15 years, the prolific, consistently influential playwright has digged his hometown more diligently than the 19th-century quartz drilling (Gem State, remember?). Thanks to Hunter, I spent several hours at Pocatello, Lewiston, Clarkston (all of his titles) and most recently Grangeville. Or rather GrangevilleIt is the world premiere of a signature theater company, and the author continues his patients and absorbs research into wasted life.
A two who are alienated half-brothers, have a dying mother, Grangeville Start with the darkness. Director Jack Serio relaxed us with a tentative transatlantic appeal between Paul Sparks and Arnold (Brian J. Smith, which was finally visible after the glacier faded out. Jerry is ten years older, divorced, and still lives in Idaho, reducing his mom’s trailer home in the hospital. Arnold escaped. He lives in Rotterdam, paints, and his Dutch husband Bram works in the museum. When Jerry and Arnold stopped connecting on the phone (sound designer Chris Darbassie amplified and distorted the sound, coated with sour smell), a painful history gathered in the air. . Arnold refuses to be dragged back, Jerry bullies his gay brother while their neglected mom goes out for an elbow.
As mentioned earlier, the opening is very long. The remaining 80 minutes bring the siblings close to each other in a few months. They started meeting in video chats, open to their partner’s questions, and Arnold learned in pain that his mother had given him a letter of authorization (“After the last middle finger died,” he smoked. On the video, Arnold showed Jerry his latest work: Abstract Painting, which was previously the stage of building a detailed location in Grangeville. We intuitively, those little 3D picture frames are Arnold divides and angers way.
Neatly, Arnold’s shift from miniature realism to abstraction was designed in reverse in Serio’s beautifully calibrated production. We start with pitch-black black and end with realistic human spaces. Throughout the process, impeccable design supports this trajectory, visually pleasing and dramatic aptitude. The landscape trio is called “Points” again: In most scripts, we’re looking at a wide wall with pebbles on it (which is bumpy, raised finish) painted in dark black. On the left is the cheap, fragile door of the mother’s trailer and on the right is the corridor leading to it. (This is the “vacuum and confined space” as indicated in the script.) The way Stacey DeRosier’s lights play from rough-played walls can create the fantasy of sparkling stars or indestructible voids. Ricky Reynoso’s outfits effectively portray Jerry’s lower middle-class middle-class Schlob (Jeans, baseball cap), and Arnold’s more stylish European artist (Men’s and Women’s Game Casual Clothes). Finally, Serio puts the actor in essentially a wide tabletop diorama-trailer kitchen where the brothers dump her belongings in a garbage bag. Arnold rejected the bonsai realism of his early career, but it put him in trouble.
Despite the design team doing a lot of dramatic weightlifts, the performance was just as good. Just when you think of a long-term secret weapon Paul Sparks see every vocal or behavioral quirk, he whips another damaged, complex weird energy portrait (they tend to be more countries than cities). Last seen with Michael Shannon Waiting for Gordo), Sparks has promoted every project he works in for more than 20 years. He can whip the boy from the Dead Eye serial killer in seconds. His Jerry is a remorseless loser who realizes that his sadism (passed from his abusive father) pushes his brother away from the ocean and he has to endure it. Smith’s mission is both more delicate and cruel. He draws our empathy as a culture, thoughtful poverty and homophobia survivor, but his triumphant glee is unbearably ugly when he gets the news of his inevitable mother’s death. On top of that, both actors doubled in the drama center scene: Smith portrays Jerry’s cautious, wise ex-wife, while Sparks turn into Arnold’s long-term suffering, Funny husband.
Have we watched this drama before? Brothers and sisters deal with past wounds, making their mark by the death of their parents? Of course we have. But like all storytelling, few What but how Very important. How painful the pain of these two steps is, all artists achieve clarity and honest tasks for every moment through vibrant performances, poetic designs and exciting storytelling. You will leave the town of Grangeville (Pop. 3,617), but are satisfied. Yes, if Hunter announces another tour in state 43, sign me up.
Grangeville | 1 hour and 30 minutes. No intermission. | Pershing Square Signature Center | 480 West 42nd Street | 212-244-7529 | Buy tickets here
