Becky Shaw runs until April 4 at The Huntington Theatre, Boston University Theatre, 264 Huntington Avenue.
It’s easy to see why Becky Shaw was a 2009 finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. It delves into many issues, some that are timeless and some that relate specifically to right now. Not only is it thought provoking, it’s hilarious. There were moments where the audience laughed so hard that the actors had to pause because the loud laughter would have blocked lines.
The humor begins with almost a sitcom type of rhythm but builds to a clever, witty, ironic humor. The plays starts a few months after the death of Mr. Slater. His daughter Suzanna, his wife Susan and his sort-of son Max meet to discuss financial details. We learn that Max is not blood-related but that the family “adopted” him after his mother died, and that Max’s real father has occasional trouble with the law.
But Max is no helpless orphan today. He is a high-powered financial planner in New York. He lacks patience, and speaks in a no-nonsense, what’s-the-bottom-line attitude with an extreme honesty and lack of filter that often makes him come off as inappropriate, abrasive or rude. Yet some of what he says is exactly what we are thinking but would be afraid to say. He discusses his love for the deceased but buries himself in his work as a method to avoid his emotions.
Suzanna is the emotional opposite of Max. She is very emotional about the loss of her father and seeks comfort which neither Max nor her mother provide. Beyond the loss of her father, there seems to be some unrelated instability about her life and a lack of the ability to make decisions. Both characters are single, and though they refer to their relationship as brother-sister, there seems to be more there. What they do with what’s under the surface changes their lives and becomes an important subplot in the play.
The mother lacks Suzanna’s emotions and Max’s logic. She doesn’t seem to grieve for the husband, and instead seems to only want to discuss her new lover. Max shares with her two big secrets about her husband, one of which is that he was bad with money and their life will be altered as a result. Neither seems to register with her. She lives in the moment, only wanting to drink fine wine, eat fancy food, and be with her lover. Her dismissal of the truth and Suzanna’s inability to make decisions combined with Max’s financial expertise and his desire for control put Max in charge of the household’s finances.
The characterization is quite strong for these three and the other two characters (whom we meet later). Each character has a very specific voice and every piece of dialogue matches them well.
The strong differences in the three people introduces many opportunities for jokes, and in fact the audience laughed almost every minute. Despite the discussion of a dead family member, this scene is lighter than the rest of the play, and much of the laughter is based on sarcasm and insults. But as the play moves on, we get to know the characters well and we laugh at ironies and foils. We also laugh as we see elements of ourselves.
Eli James (as Andrew Porter) and Wendy Hoopes (as Becky Shaw) (T. Charles Erickson)
In the next scene in the play it is almost a year later. Suzanna is living in a shabby apartment with her new husband Andrew. Andrew is the foil to Max. He doesn’t love money, in fact he would be content with less money and living in a smaller apartment. He is a writer, a feminist, and a caring individual who shares emotions. He seems to be the type of nice person that we all want to be—or does he take it too far? The two men are at opposite ends of the spectrum, and it makes one wonder who—if either—is a better match, and who is a better man.
Unlike Andrew, Suzanna is concerned about money. We see that she is having trouble adjusting to her new life as a non-wealthy person. This reminded me of something that many people go through after college—that once people are on their own their financial life is very different than it was under their parents’ roof. Also, in the past two years, due to layoffs and the bad economy, many people have gone through what Suzanna is going through—having to adjust their spending, life and identity to a new lack of income. This makes the play easy to relate to and timely.
Suzanna and Andrew have decided to set Max up with Becky Shaw, a woman from Andrew’s work. When we meet Becky she seems like an insecure, timid creature, but we later learn that there is much more under the surface. Becky and Max’s date has an unexpected unfortunate twist. The post-date chaos does not only affect Becky and Max, but also Andrew and Suzanna. It causes them to examine their relationship, who they are, and what’s important.
The second act consists of events that happen as a result of the bad first date, and also a subplot about a problem with Suzanna’s mother. It is amazing how much stuff Playwright Gina Gionfriddo was able to cram into this piece. She succeeds at entertaining and enlightening. She asks a lot of questions, such as the old Harry Met Sally question: Can a man and woman be friends? But she asks it in a new way—weaving co-dependence in the mix. When is it good to be dependent on others and when is it destructive? What can it lead to?
Other questions the play asks include: Is honesty in marriage important or destructive? Should partners tell each other everything? What is the value of intimacy? What is the value of money? What is a man? When is a woman a con artist? Is depression attractive? When you fall in love with someone you want to save, what happens when they get better? When one buries a secret, can they compensate for it by spending a lot of money?
Eli James (as Andrew Porter), Wendy Hoopes (as Becky Shaw), Keira Naughton (as Suzanna Slater), and Seth Fisher (as Max Garrett) (T. Charles Erickson)
The acting is terrific. Keira Naughton is great as Suzanna. We see her struggle with decision-making, identity, money and love. Eli James does well as the sensitive and warm Andrew. Maureen Anderman plays the mother well. Her coldness, and dismissal of reality, emotion and logic reminded some patrons of the mother on Two and a Half Men.
Seth Fisher is great as Max, and Peter DuBois did a great job directing him. The other four characters wander around the stage and fidget. Suzanna, Andrew and Becky all show a lot of emotion. By contrast, DuBois kept Fisher always looking calm and at times disinterested, and rarely showing any emotion.
DuBois directed the other characters well too. This is a combination of his directorial skill and his familiarity with the script: DuBois directed the world premiere of Becky Shaw at the Actors Theatre of Louisville’s prestigious Humana Festival as well as at the Off Broadway run at at Second Stage Theatre.
The Hunting Theatre Company has the budget, space and technology for great sets, and set designer Derek McLane shows off their resources well. It’s not McLane’s first time with this script—he also designed the set for the New York premiere of Becky Shaw at Second Stage Theatre. (In addition to McLane and DuBois, other crew members who worked on the New York show include the costume designer, lighting designer, sound designer, and production stage manager.) In his set, we see the contrast in the mother’s majestic home and Suzanna and Andrew’s tired apartment. We see Max’s cold, industrial, cookie cutter three-star hotel room and realize how much it suits him. McLane is great with details—the way the playwright made each piece of dialogue match each character, each piece of set was perfect for each location and could not be moved to another one. The characters’ personalities are well reflected in their living spaces.
The only element lacking in the play is the lack of resolution. At the end of the play, two of the characters stay the same. One of the characters has a change, and his change seems to force change onto another character, which in turn forces change onto another. I found myself wondering if any of these changes would remain permanent. But some say it is best not to have everything wrapped up at the end of a play. It certainly did not bother the audience who applauded so much that the actors had to come out again for an extra bow.
Becky Shaw runs until April 4. It performs Tuesdays-Thursdays at 7:30, Saturdays at 8 pm, select Sundays at 7 pm, and select 2 pm matinées on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Some nights have talk-backs and special events. The Huntington Theatre Company, Boston University Theatre, 264 Huntington Avenue, (617) 266-0800.
