PART 2: Clarity and impact are sacrificed in non-traditional storytelling
As written in Part 1:
A healthy theatre ecosystem includes a variety of styles of storytelling. Theatre should be daring, challenging, transformative, and ever-evolving. I look forward to seeing plays that switch things up. What matters to me is that the manner of telling the story be effective and the story itself be understood (to some extent, at least).
These productions suffered because their stories were not very understandable, the storytelling was ineffective, and certain directorial elements were weak. In my UnProfessional Opinion, there is not much these productions could have done to save themselves anyway. While these shows may satisfy their companies’ visions, their audiences feel cheated of quality and clarity.
Now, let’s proceed:
THINK TWICE: “Incognito” at Constellation Theatre Company
“I hope it’s not too much of a bombardment.”
After seeing Studio Theatre’s stunning 2016 production of Constellations, I was quite excited to see more of Nick Payne’s plays here in DC. Knowing they would be rather cerebral, I was up for the challenge. I enjoy a challenging play that makes you think… but not the entire time. Constellation Theatre Company does an admirable job with Incognito, yet I can’t help feeling that both the play and the production design need an editor.
Let’s set the scene: There are three storylines. After being chosen to perform Albert Einstein’s autopsy, Dr. Thomas Harvey obsesses over Einstein’s dissected brain in an attempt to understand his genius. A musician named Henry has lost his ability to form new memories after a procedure that helped with his seizures. Lastly, a neuropsychologist is struggling with both her past and present while pursuing a new romance.
In my UnProfessional Opinion, these three interwoven stories are not very interesting, nor do they add much to each other. They have been intricately dissected and collaged back together in a way that does not provide much of a satisfying build. And right when I felt I had gained solid footing on one storyline, it was halted and shifted to another. As with Life Jacket, getting lost and playing catch-up is not a great experience. Keeping myself straight on the narrative structure to avoid getting confused was exhausting and unsuccessful, but I remained intrigued throughout for one reason: the cast.
This is a very demanding show for its actors, frequently shifting from one character to the next, hopping through storylines, relationships, and more. Constellation has assembled a terrifically versatile cast that made uninteresting material interesting and displayed some of the finest acting so far this year. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Kari Ginsburg and Marcus Kyd in several productions over the years, and their transformative talents were wonderfully on display in this production. But the other two actors are relatively new to me, and they made quite a remarkable impression.
Ixchel Hernández’s sustained, dynamic energy was endlessly captivating. From a hopeful lover to an absurdly flirtatious waitress, Hernández flowed effortlessly between her richly developed characters. She had beautifully nuanced subtext and interplay with each of her fellow actors — when she watched Henry improving at the piano, her emotional response was stunning to witness. Her facility with expressing authentic, grounded emotions of all variety is outstanding.
An artistic chameleon, Gerrad Alex Taylor was the most impressively successful at transforming between incredibly unique characters. I was in awe of his rapid ability to juggle accents, alter his physical and vocal expressiveness, and flow between varying emotional intensities. From a slimy, flamboyant prick to a simmering, cold son of Einstein, Taylor showcased a vibrant skillset many actors can only dream to possess.
Although visually enticing, I found the scenic design by Nephelie Andonyadis did not do much to aid the storytelling of the production. The concept, while bold, is not very clear or cohesive with the actual play. It is executed very well — the colorful, luminescent block furniture and the stalls upstage were sleek and technically impressive. Similar to my experience with seven methods of killing kylie jenner, I feel like the overdesigned production was meant to distract from the confusing script. However, the distraction itself was distracting. While undeniably a cool set, a simplified design might have helped this production.
Incognito is an intellectually dense play that demands much from its audience with little to gain. Although the performances are brilliant, the story is difficult to follow and the design only makes the confusing content better to look at, so it is my UnProfessional Opinion that you THINK TWICE about Incognito.
SKIP IT: “The High Ground” at Arena Stage
“Ontological serial ulceration.”
I’m pretty sure that is what I heard — I had about a dozen chances (or more) to get it right. What does it mean? Just look it up, because I had to afterward.
But the frequently repeated use of that phrase is what hits at the crux of my issue with Arena Stage’s newest edition to their “Power Plays”. Nathan Alan Davis’ The High Ground boldly puts forth ideas — influenced by incredible subject matter — but they are confusingly manifested and unexamined, and unfortunately never get off the ground.
Let’s set the scene: Over a hundred years after the Tulsa race massacre caused horrific death and destruction, a Black soldier remains standing on present-day Standpipe Hill, waiting for his wife to return. On three different occasions, across space and time, a woman attempts to make him come with her and leave the hill, but he refuses.
This point is simply a matter of taste, but in my UnProfessional Opinion, unrealistic action in a realistic environment is much less successful on stage than realistic action in an unrealistic environment. (Some examples include Ivo Van Hove’s A View from the Bridge, Studio Theatre’s Cock, Mosaic Theater Company’s In His Hands, and the recent Into the Woods on Broadway.) It is hard for me to explain why… It is kind of like the performance version of the uncanny valley — I see a realistic space, yet not realistic storytelling. Paige Hathaway’s scenic design is gorgeously executed. I particularly loved the details of patchy, yellowed areas of the grassy hill. But with the abstract, metatheatrical qualities of the storytelling, I was craving more of those qualities in the production’s design as well. I sat there hoping for some unique bold lighting design perhaps, so I found it especially ironic when Nehassaiu deGannes’ character says, “I need a softer light — can someone please make the light softer.”
Two-person productions are extremely difficult. The actors must have strong chemistry, and the characters must have a strong relationship (of some kind) to support the storytelling. The High Ground does not fully succeed in either case. The actors are powerful. Phillip James Brannon is extraordinary as the Soldier. Intensely committed and well-developed, his performance had a beautifully captivating emotional connection and a razor-sharp imagination. Every time he reflected on his memories of tragedy and conflict, I could see it in his eyes and hear it in his voice. Brannon is a phenomenal storyteller, and he elevated this script incredibly. I give great kudos to Nehassaiu deGannes for tackling a complicated role, portraying four different characters. Each one was fiercely committed, and her performance was sincere. I was hoping for a bit more versatility and differentiation between the characters, however we discover she is performing the same person in different incarnations, so perhaps that was a choice. (We find out about that revelation at the end, when the play indulgently analyzes itself in a very long, performative, stream-of-consciousness monologue.)
I usually like to come into a production blind, so I can allow the play to tell its story independently. However, for this show, I decided to read some articles about the creation of the piece and more about the tragedies in 1920s Tulsa. What I thought would enrich my experience watching the play had the opposite effect, instead revealing how lacking the play was in impact. Why repeatedly reference confusing, unexplained ideas instead of diving into them? Perhaps this work would be more effective as a performance art piece in a museum, or analyzed in an academic course. But as an ephemeral 70-minute experience in the theatre, the play cannot support its ideas on its own, as is. It does not dive deep enough into the history it is about, nor does it explain itself well, so it is my UnProfessional Opinion that you SKIP The High Ground.
Incognito by Nick Payne
Directed by Allison Arkel Stockman
Constellation Theatre Company
February 10 — March 12, 2023
The High Ground by Nathan Alan Davis
Directed by Meghan Sandberg-Zakian
Arena Stage
February 10 — April 2, 2023
