From a writer and director of the television series "Law and Order" comes a gut−splittingly hilarious play that contains some characters seriously in need of a good lawyer.
In The Huntington Theatre Company's production of Gina Gionfriddo's "Becky Shaw," sharp wit and dialogue cut through issues of class, culture and politics in a hilarious rendition of a very bad blind date. At first, "Becky Shaw" is simply shocking if the audience is unable to register the dark, sometimes slightly offensive humor. But it slowly becomes evident that the show is one of the best finds this season.
Suzanna Slater (Keira Naughton) is the daughter of a wealthy family from the South who finds herself depressed and bankrupt after her father's death. She is dependent on Max Garrett (Seth Fisher), whom her parents took in but never adopted after Max's mother died.
Suzanna and Max are intimate because they are so similar and understand one another. They embody all of the prejudices and stereotypes of the upper−class, though it is often their graphic metaphors and offensive comments that elicit laughs from the audience.
Max's rude and dismissive attitude is neither understood nor appreciated by all of the characters, in particular Suzanna's husband, Andrew Porter (Eli James). Andrew is four years younger than Suzanna and a world apart from her, which is accentuated by the fact that Andrew keeps close to his college identity and youthful dreams. While considered the only good and decent person in the story, Andrew is not without his flaws: He's a dreaming idealistic hipster whom Max enjoys tearing to pieces with as many snipes and side comments as possible.
It's the work of Suzanna and Andrew to set up Max and Becky Shaw (Wendy Hoopes) on a blind date. They instantly regret their decision, realizing their friends' incompatibilities. It's an action that creates turbulence and irrevocable realizations for all of the characters.
The commentary throughout the show is fresh and full of contemporary references. Jibes are constantly made at today's indie−hipster culture and members of the upper−class. These two worlds are represented through the characters of Andrew and Max. Often at odds with one another, the two can never come to the same conclusion about anything. Max loves porn, for example, while it makes Andrew cry. As a result, while the show itself might not be timeless, it makes it all the more appreciable in the moment.
Relationships between the characters and their individually strong personalities are what drive the plot. Conversations make up the climactic moments of the show. The interactions between Suzanna's mother, Susan Slater (Maureen Anderman), Suzanna and Max are highlights in the production. Anderman is simultaneously stunning and terrifying; she gracefully captures her character's ridiculous snobbery and blatant vulgarity. Her relationship with a man half her age hardly assuages her tasteless prejudices, but it brings tension to her rapport with Suzanna, who finds this man more than an unacceptable replacement for her father. ?
The dichotomy of opposing classes and opinions is central to the performance. Max and Andrew represent entirely different worlds, and through Suzanna, those two worlds meet, creating a war zone of pointed arguments and hissy fits. When Becky arrives, everything is skewed. It is difficult to decide whether she is the delicate and mistreated individual that Andrew sees or the desperate blackmailing person that Max imagines.
Despite being the titular character of the show, Becky Shaw is not so much the main protagonist, but the elusive character who, after making her entrance, brings out everyone's secrets. To Andrew, her self−destructiveness is a siren call, while to Suzanna and Max, she is the figure of a magnetic repulsion. Similar to the class collisions central to the script, Becky is another point of opposition between Suzanna and Max — one that their relationship may not survive.
The Huntington Theatre Company's production of "Becky Shaw" is onstage at the Boston University Theatre until April 4. Student rush tickets are available for $15.
