By James V. Ruocco
Playwright Theresa Rebeck's "The Understudy" uses a "put-in rehearsal" for a Kafka masterpiece to satirize the life of a struggling Broadway actor at a time when New York producers are more interested in hiring Hollywood movie stars than performers who view theater as an art form to enhance their careers and not their bank accounts.
Ingenious.
Crafty.
Insightful.
Hilarious.
Creative.
Rebeck leaves no stone unturned.
And therein, lies the enjoyment of this engaging, marvelously written play that exposes the shiftiness and shamelessness of the Broadway theater community with enormous truths and sensibility.
The joke, of course, is that the play in question throughout "The Understudy" has been written by the late Franz Kafka, a distinguished playwright whose celebrated works are hardly fodder for today's Broadway. Nor are Kafka's rambling themes about destruction, alienation, anxiety and disorientation in productions running three hours or longer. Most often, they are confusing, absurd, distant and often hard to understand. And the audience, those that are still awake, stare blankly at the stage wondering when it will all be over.
That said, "The Understudy" celebrates this madness with a conceit that finds two Hollywood action film stars (one is never seen) playing lead roles in an unnamed Kafka drama that became a huge box-office sensation not because of the writing or the story, but because of the two celebrities in the spotlight.
Funny, you betcha.
And so, it begins.
With a ragingly outrageous script by Rebeck involving three characters and a fourth who is never seen, the groundwork is laid immediately at the start of the play as the playwright offers a quick study in the life of the misconstrued understudy who will probably never get to perform the part because most Broadway actors would rather die than give their angst-ridden standby the opportunity to copy their every move, copycat their sacred dialogue and proudly accept applause from an audience who shockingly welcomed their last-minute replacement with open arms.
In order for "The Understudy" to fully work, the play requires someone who knows actors, loves actors, understands actors and can get inside their heads like a Park Avenue therapist schooled in the mechanics of the theater world's never-ending jealousies, egos, greed, star power and kiss-ass tactics on stage, in the dressing room and in the rehearsal hall.
They don't get any better than David Kennedy whose directorial credits include "Tartuffe," "Suddenly Last Summer," "Loot," "The Invisible Hand" and "Appropriate." Here, he crafts a fast, fluid, deliciously wicked production that jumps, spins, runs, turns and cajoles with the acerbic wit, sarcasm and the insider's show biz verbatim the playwright intended. He also respects the incredible detail and every-changing mood swings of Rebeck's character study, her penchant for ripe, fastidious dialogue, juicy one liners and fully-realized characterizations that seem ever so natural in a comic setting where over-the-top endangerment could, but thankfully, doesn't creep in.
The pleasure of watching "The Understudy" unfold also comes from Kennedy's ability to provide laughter....lots of it, that is... without ever going for the obvious. The jokes, are pure Rebeck, coming at you from left, right, front, center and upside side down. They are witty. They are clever. They are inspired. They are thrilling. But the good news, is that Kennedy doesn't go for the obvious. He lets them unfold naturally which makes them twice as much fun. He knows they are coming, but we don't and he never once oversteps those comedic boundaries.
Given the fact that "The Understudy" takes its cue from the play's rehearsal set-up, Kennedy has a lot to work with. In turn, some of the comedy stems from the frustrations, misgivings and tensions of the actors as they rehearse, break character, deviate from the rehearsal script, question the stage blocking and ask if they can override the actual direction of the finished piece. Here, Kennedy knows exactly what buttons to push and gets his actors to nail every little tick, quirk, beat and rhythm Rebeck tosses their way. It's so ingenious and well orchestrated, you just sit back and laugh and laugh and laugh. Then, again, that's the point of this marvelous, quirky comedy.
Casting is everything in a play of this small size and Kennedy has handpicked three incredibly personable, talented and charismatic actors to bring "The Understudy" to life with the polish, dash and showmanship required to make it fly, soar and smack you right in the face with its cheeky, icy and confessional-like humor.
Eric Bryant, last seen in "The Invisible Hand" at TheaterWorks/Hartford (the actor also headlined the 2016 Westport Country Playhouse production) is an incredibly gifted performer who is so in touch with the emotions and personalities of every character he portrays, you actually forget he's an actor appearing in a play. He just doesn't play a part. He owns it.
In "The Understudy," he is cast as Harry, an angst-ridden, messed-up, self-absorbed actor who has been asked to understudy the lead role in an important Kafka piece on Broadway, which, for box-office purposes, stars a very sexy, Hollywood action star whose current movie grossed $67 million the first weekend.
The joke, of course, is that Harry is neither sexy, tall or well built like the actor he has been asked to understudy. Harry is also pissed that Hollywood actors are taking important roles from aspiring hopefuls anxious to see their name up in lights on Broadway. When we first meet him, he turns up in a darkened theater awaiting the start of his big rehearsal. For laughter's sake, he breaks the fourth wall between actor and audience, to jabber incessantly and set the stage for what's to follow once the stage manager and lead actor make their presence known.
Bryant, of course, never misses a comic beat. He has great fun with the part, particularly when he goes into overdrive to find his actor's center, emote methodically and become the character he's understudying. For anyone who's seriously studied theater, these moments are fresh, invigorating and hysterical. For those who haven't, things are still funny, but, for laughter's sake, it helps if you are a real theater person schooled or knowledgeable in method acting. Bryant also gets laughs when questioning the logistics of the Kafka play's original direction, staging and character interaction. These moments, which find Harry arguing with the other characters. are impeccably timed and smartly performed under Kennedy's tutelage.
Brett Dalton, in the role of Jake, is handsome, sexy and every inch the leading man, which is exactly what the part calls for. But Dalton, is more than just a pretty face. His interpretation of Jake, which is every bit as funny as Bryant's Harry, is the epitome of the well-paid, high-priced movie star who actually believes he has the talent and drive to become a big Broadway star based on the box-office success of his movies. You can't help but laugh, if only because this analogy is so true of the Broadway community of today where box-office dictates everything and ticket prices get hiked from $150 to $800 if you want to see your favorite movie star up close and personal.
Nonetheless, Dalton, who is best known for his portrayal of Agent Grant Ward in ABC's "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D," is the perfect fit for the character of Jake. He possesses great coming timing. He can shift gears within a split second. He has great fun with Rebeck's script and dialogue. And he shares the playwright's penchant for moments that require his character to laugh at himself, his box-office persona and the method acting warm-ups he believes will give his character added depth, drive and stamina.
Roxanne, the Kafka play stage manager, forced to whip Harry and Jake into place at the first rehearsal, is played by the wonderfully charismatic Andrea Syglowski. If you've even been in a play or worked behind-the-scene's in a play, then you already know Syglowski's Roxanne is the real deal. It's a full-bodied portrait chock full of passion, color, nuance, heart, soul and fiery determination. It's also a 5 STAR performance that's so honest and so real, you'd swear she actually spent her days and nights working backstage at some big Broadway theater.
Finally, there's Laura, a fourth character who is never seen or heard, but is very much a part of "The Understudy" and its high voltage comic maneuvering. As written by Rebeck, she is the oft stoned, unreliable light, sound and set change person who brings on the wrong sets, cues the wrong music, lighting and sound effects and gets Roxanne boiling mad. It's a very funny conceit that gets laughs in all the right places as the Westport Country Playhouse staff and crew pull all the right strings to make all these mistakes (a la Laura) happen most ingeniously.
So, what's it like to be in theater? Or, in this case, understudy the lead role?
"The Understudy" dishes up an infectious mix of answers laced with wonderfully orchestrated bits of backstage drama, narcissism, self-doubt, confusion, truths, mishaps, bruised egos and inside scoops. It is funny. It is cheeky. It is poignant. It is revelatory. It is joyful. The cast is pitch-perfect. And David Kennedy's deft, insightful direction allows Rebeck's work to drift merrily beyond the environs of the proscenium wall and into our lives so that we can appreciate, understand, connect and enjoy this remarkable comic entertainment to its fullest.
Photos of "The Understudy" are courtesy of Carol Rosegg
"The Understudy" is being staged at Westport Country Playhouse (25 Powers Court, Westport, CT), now through September 1.
For tickets or more information, call (203) 227-4177
website: westportplayhouse.org
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