Play Review: 'Under the Skin' at Everyman Theater - Entrepreneur Generations

My students and I were lucky enough to attend Everyman Theater's production of Under the Skin this week, as part of the theater's High School Matinee Program. Playwright Michael Hollinger's comedy was a thrilling experience for our students, who gasped and giggled throughout the play's twisty plot and funny scenes, and at least one of their teachers (re: me) developed a case of 'allergies" during one particularly poignant exchange. Yes, this play had a little bit of everything; I laughed and I cried and was thoroughly satisfied.

My students were most intrigued by the plot, which was unpredictable in all the right ways; we worked on a playwriting unit before we went on the field trip, and students were able to recognize the reversal scenes for what they were, but only after they happened. And the play was a perfect segue into our Design unit, as the minimalist, yet complex (a hospital bed turns into a Starbucks wall) set, designed by Brandon McNeel, was brilliant. Half of the play takes place in a hospital room, so there is an antiseptic feel to the lighting and colors; however, it seamlessly shifts to a cozy Starbucks (photo below) and, later, to a living room and a bedroom. And about those lights: Jay A. Herzog's lighting is just as important as the set in conveying these different settings.

There's a nice piece in the program about Herzog being a recipient of a liver transplant, and that's what this play is about: organ transplant. But as the characters describe in their opening break-the-fourth-wall address to the audience, it's about more than that (of course). The play is about the ties that bind all people together, and the main internal conflict about a 30ish woman deciding whether to donate a kidney to her absentee father ends up being just the setup to an evocative exploration of forgiveness and family. Hollinger also wants to explore how we are all connected "under the skin." 

I found that aspect of the play really interesting, because the mixed-race cast -- a white daughter and father, and a black son and mother -- never actually mentions race in play. In fact, when I finished watching the play, I wondered about the issue of race in the play's production: could the play have been race-blind cast? And, in reflection, I didn't think so; it seems the playwright's intent was to make at least half the characters be black (after all, one of them is named Jarrell; one of them doubles as a doctor from Uganda) but not to make it an issue, because, as actress Alice M. Gatling explained to me during her post-show visit, he wanted to explore how we are connected "under the skin." Ms. Gatling was a treasure trove of information and motivation for my students, telling them how she competed in Speech competitions from the 6th grade on and has been a working actress her entire life. Later, I was fascinated with her discussions of what it was like to originate the role of Marlene, whose son Jarrell is considering donating a kidney. Gatling was cast in the play's world premiere in Philadelphia by playwright Hollinger, and now is playing the role for the second time. 

Gatling is terrific in three roles, as the aforementioned Marlene, a pillar of strength and good humor; as a comedically insistent and passive aggressive baurista; and as Dr. Badu, who is the no nonsense doctor who throttled me with a monologue about seeing her father dragged away by soldiers when she was 12 years old, never to see him again. She is the doctor working with Lou, the aforementioned estranged father who is at risk of dying of renal failure due to line infections. Played by Mitchell Hebert -- who reminded me of J.K. Simmons, the stern but funny Oscar-winning actor -- he successfully conveys a harsh exterior to hide some of the regrets of his life. Center Stage Company Member Megan Anderson plays Rayna, who is wondering whether to give her father, who disappointed her at every turn of her life, her kidney so he can survive. Like her father Lou, Rayna isn't a very likable character -- she's clearly in pain, full of neuroses and indecision -- but Anderson makes her feel very authentic. Keith L. Royal Smith, a graduate of Baltimore School of the Arts, plays the dual role of Hector (a nurse from Santo Domingo) and Jarrell, Marlene's son. His natural and charismatic performance in both roles was a revelation, and a performance I'm happy my students (who are likely around 10 years younger than him, also toiling away in a Drama class at a Baltimore City Public School) were able to see and meet later.  I also want to give a nod to Dialect Coach Steven J. Satta, who helped make Gatling and Smith's accents while playing characters from Uganda and the Dominican Republic sound effortless and authentic.

It's only at the end of the play where I felt like Hollinger's script had some flaws. There's an argument between Rayna and Jarrell over the hospital bed that I thought was out of character for both, particularly Jarrell (who, until then, was such an easygoing presence onstage). And it seems like Hollinger really wanted to make his theme very clear at the end, so we get a monologue that feels a little on-the-nose, and an ending that feels a little too abrupt.

These are small quibbles compared to the joy I had during this production, though. The resonant performances, the shocking twists, the moments of sorrow, the credible characters dealing with tough family situations, and the incredible set and lighting make this a top-notch theatrical experience. It had a freshness and humor to it that made it a great counterpart to what I think has been a remarkable season by Everyman Theater so far this year, with the superb An Inspector Calls and a solid Fences. This play could become one that is performed for decades as well.

Under the Skin runs until Feb. 21

from Epiphany in Baltimore http://ift.tt/1S47HSM Play Review: 'Under the Skin' at Everyman Theater - Entrepreneur Generations

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