By James V. Ruocco
One of the most acclaimed works of the past 20 years, Caryl Churchill's extraordinary play "A Number" taps into the thrill of cloning using scientific and philosophical elements to explain why a bereaved father - following the death of his beloved young son - opts to have him cloned so that he could have one more chance at fatherhood.
His choice, however, produces not one, but multiple versions of the boy (unauthorized by the medical team so says the playwright) who, years later, each confronts his father, rocked by the wounds and manipulations of the cloning procedure, its strangeness, its repercussions and its blinding ideas and inheritance.
Set in the not-too-distant future, "A Number" was first performed in 2002 at the Royal Court Theatre in London with Michael Gambon as Salter (the father) and Daniel Craig (prior to being cast as 007, James Bond) as Bernard 1, Bernard 2 and Michael Black, his trio of cloned sons. In 2006, the play was revived at the UK's Sheffield Crucible with real-life father and son Timothy West and Samuel West as the two leads. Two years earlier, it made its American debut at the New York Theatre Workshop starring Sam Shepard and Dallas Roberts.
Disturbing.
Provocative.
Inquisitive.
Intellectual.
Unique.
"A Number" was an immediate hit with critics and audiences worldwide.
The Backyard Theatre Ensemble revival of "A Number" exemplifies that praise with an edgy, artful revival of Churchill's poetic story, and thus, replays, her blustery drama of paternal obsession and collapse with confidence and probing conscience.
It disturbs.
It taunts.
It teases.
It entices.
It attacks.
It confronts.
It angers.
It atones.
It liberates.
As envisioned by Churchill, "A Number" plunges headfirst into her scientific dystopia never once missing a beat, a tick or an emotion. The conversations, the words, the exchanges, the power plays, the gestures are all thematically realized with the assurance, pulse and structure necessary to keep the work afloat for both actor and audience.
Nothing is overcomplicated. Nothing is bloated. Nothing is inconceivable. Nothing is wheedled beyond realization.
Instead, Churchill crafts a disturbing portrait that is so imaginatively woven, it hits hard, it hits fast, or it hits silently, thus, pushing you to the edge of your seat, wondering what's going to happen next, how things will be resolved and what, by chance, will happen before the final fadeout where the actor's take their final bows. It's a puzzle of sorts with neat tricks, neat twists, neat surprises, all of which Churchill delivers with masterclass freshness, stance and orchestrated grip.
The challenge of shaping a two-character play with five distinct, plot-advancing scene changes is one that director Teresa Langston addresses with an open-minded awareness that is awash with apparent payoff. Here, she favors clarity, fluidity and intensity - three driving factors that complement Churchill's clever playscript and the very different acting styles and choices - cohesive, determined, edgy - of her two lead performers. Not one to resort to unnecessary staging techniques that would detract from the dialogue or story progression, she keeps things simple without any form of cliche or overkill. In turn, "A Number's" involved verbatim and distilled storytelling is eye-opening, generous and throbbing with immersive messaging, judgements, commitments, curves, quibbles, platforms and opportunities.
As interpreter, she displays a fondness for the inventive quirkiness on display, allowing the characters to say what's exactly on their minds, interact seamlessly with one another and moreover, keep the chore-heavy ping pong match - or open debate, in you prefer- front and center. Directorially, she doesn't waste a moment. Clocking in at only 55 minutes, the play inches forward at breakneck speed only pausing now and then for quick scene and wardrobe changes, backed by well-chosen, well-placed, incidental music before the lights come on to reveal the very next scene. Langston also keeps the spirit and style of the piece entirely true to the playwright's mindset, its expectations and thought-provoking conclusion.
"A Number" stars Ryan Wantroba and Mike Zizka.
A versatile actor whose commitment to theater - in this case, acting - Wantroba takes hold of his three different roles - Bernard 1, Bernard 2, Michael Black - with style, purpose and command. Fueled by the intensity of Churchill's playscript, he delivers a trio of characterizations with a stinging sense of abandonment, resentment, pain, abuse, acceptance and debate. Always in control of what he is going to say and do in each of the play's five different scenes, he piques interest with lived-in abandon, that, although rehearsed and timed under Langston's adept tutelage, unfolds with real-time ease, naturalness and backbone. Throughout the production, the body language, mood swings, mannerisms, quirks and oddities of his trio of characters are believably portrayed as the play inches toward its biting, troubled denouement.
Zizka, as Salter, is equally impressive. He too comes to the stage with practiced skills, presence and connection that makes him the ideal choice to portray a father confronted by life's choices, selfishness and accessibility that often leaves him trapped, confused, vulnerable or just simply reeling. Communication is key to the sucess of his performance and Zizka always knows what buttons to push whether reciting Churchill's pungent dialogue, reacting to his co-star's wordplay or simply standing still thinking, observing and reacting. His onstage chemistry with Wantroba is, of course, the driving force of the play and one that is ignited with plenty of chemistry, fusion and obvious camaraderie.
Committed to producing theatre that inspires and challenges both performer and audience, "A Number" is yet another complex, collaborative effort by Backyard Yard Theater Ensemble whose theatrical journey - first begun in 2010 - has produced several outstanding works including "Gideon's Knot," "The Glass Menagerie" (co-produced with Landmark Community Theatre), "Catholic School Girls," "Fool for Love," "Mauritus" and "The Nether." Here, director Teresa Langston shapes and molds a carefully constructed, 55-minute scenario that is fascinating, enlivening, agile and fully formed. The casting of Ryan Wantroba and Mike Ziska marvelously defines the Churchill story and thrusts it into orbit and allows it to breathe, pause, digest and gesticulate. And that is reason enough to see this crafty, brooding, effective entertainment.
Photos of "A Number" by Emily Nesha Streim
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