Word: playful
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...play ends on a very unresolved note,” Feldman adds. “I want the audience to leave the theater asking themselves how did this family get there, how am I like them, what am I doing to the people around me, and can I change that...
...play is set in the LeVays’ Martha’s Vineyard household, which is masterfully designed by Tony Award-winning scenic director David Gallo. The cast moves fluidly through the house, whose aesthetic takes the idea of watching a “slice of life” quite literally: the set is a cross-section of the LeVay residence, providing views of the porch, kitchen, living room, and stairs, all meticulously decorated with paintings, books, and ornate details that convey the luxury of the LeVays’ lifestyle...
Moments like this, in which humor is used to highlight darker truths, abound in the play. Though the constant references to Kimber as Italian are funny, they also bring to light some disturbing realities about the race dynamic in America, as Flip believes an “ethnic” girlfriend would be more welcome in his family than a white one. One brief exchange between Flip and Joe captures this perfectly: when Joe claims that Flip sounds embarrassed about his white girlfriend, Flip simply replies, ”No, I’m just aware...
Despite the abundance of talent in the play, however, not all of the acting resonates. Salter’s performance as Taylor is particularly grating. She has the difficult task of playing an awkward character with many psychological and personal issues whose behavior annoys nearly everyone in the play, and she overacts the part. Her lines are occasionally too forceful, her emotional reactions too choppy, and her gestures barely contained within the bounds of the set. In the first scene in which she drunkenly verbally spars with Benton, Salter is uncomfortable to watch, gesturing dramatically, speaking too angrily, and overacting...
...which she and Dirden act as a supposedly “in-love” couple are awkward, and their physical contact is forced and unnatural. The only actors with whom she sparks are Wright and Jones; still, her overbearing presence feels out of place in this particular play...