CLYBOURNE PARK – Written by Bruce Norris; Directed by Kenny Moten. Produced by the Arvada Center Theatre Company (6901 Wadsworth Boulevard, Arvada) through March 30. Tickets available at 720-898-7200 or arvadacenter.org.
This script starts out with a truly inane conversation between a husband and wife over the derivation of the word “Neapolitan” as it pertains to ice cream. She is packing to move from the house; he is reading National Geographic and eating said ice cream. Yet all the time they are conversing, there is an underpinning of tension, of things unspoken, of a desperate need to keep things light, superficial. A clergyman arrives peddling prayer to an uninterested audience. A neighbor and his wife arrive with unsettling news about the prospective buyers of the house they are moving from. The age-old prejudices have been brought to an also unwilling audience. In the background hover Francine, their Black maid of many years, and her husband, polite, helpful and bewildered. A heart-rending story about the death of the homeowner’s military son unfolds and reveals the reasons they are moving and why they could care less who is moving in.
During the intermission, a moving crew arrives on stage, finishes the packing, removes the furniture, and proceeds to totally demolish the house – turning it from a comfortable family home into a stereotypical crack house. Designed by the brilliant Brian Mallgrave, built by Nick Cimyotte and the crew in the shop, dressed by Jalana Sloatman and her prop crew, and lit by Shannon McKinney, this is a set that goes the extra mile to provide two views of the same house, enhances the passage of the years, and belies the hope of a better life for its inhabitants.
Fifty years have passed. The family that bought the house are long gone and two generations of neglect has ruined it. A young white couple have bought the old derelict with plans to demolish it and rebuild on the same lot, but there seems to be some legal issue about the dimensions of the proposed new house. A meeting has been called between the legacy owners, the new prospective buyers, the real estate dealer and a lawyer. We quickly surmise that, even though fifty years have passed, any discussion involving racial differences are going to result in walking on eggs and high tension. While attempts at “understanding” and humor are tried, the second act ends as the first act – with fierce arguments going in all directions. As they storm out, a workman who has been digging a trench for new pipes walks in with a trunk he found buried in the yard – a remnant from the end of the story from Act I. Its contents provide a sweet but powerful coda to the anger we have witnessed.
The work done by this cadre of actors is amazing to behold. Brik Berkes’ grieving father barely able to hold it together is heartbreaking in Act One. At one point, he leaves the stage in anger, only to come back a few minutes later with tears running down his cheeks in frustration. He flips in Act Two to become the uninvolved but curious opener of the trunk uncovered. Kate Gleason plays the loving but helpless mother in Act One, grasping at straws in an attempt to help her husband assuage his anger. A fast-talking real estate agent in Act Two, she tries to deflect with distraction but finally loses her patience with these people who can’t stay on point. Ghandia Johnson is the quiet talking docile maid in Act One, until they have managed to push her last button. Don Randle plays her husband in both acts as the go –along-to-get-along guy who seems to avoid boat-rocking by being helpful and polite. They represent the neighborhood and the family that once owned the house with fears that the new house will lead to a high grade gentrification and force the now Black community out of the market. Nik Vlachos brings three characters to life. The first is the fish-out-of-water clergyman in Act One whose attempts at comfort fall dreadfully short. In Act Two, he plays a lawyer involved in the negotiations and, in the final moments, the memory of the military son.
While everyone does an exemplary job with high-pressure, fast-talking characters who must express a mountain of unpleasant emotions while seeking to maintain a cool demeanor, this evening belonged to Damon Guerrasio and his two wives. Damon – always an excellent choice for any kind of role – usually plays comic parts and musical characters. He pulls up his big boy pants in this show and takes on two of the toughest, ugliest roles. In Act One, Karl, the guy from the neighborhood, has just returned from a visit with the Youngers, the first Black family to buy into this neighborhood. The ugliness started off stage before the show commenced and continued into his belligerent conversation with Russ and Bev, the sellers. Kendall Malkin plays his very pregnant wife whose deafness protects her from some of the turmoil. Corey Exline joins Damon as his wife Lindsay in the second act. These two are Generation X through and through – on their way up, eventually 2.5 kids plus a dog, “important” jobs, confident and clearly not racist (because some of their best friends are Black). Watching them maneuver the stepping stones over the pit of fire they find themselves in is part of the fun of this show. Damon turns a little clueless, a little doofus in the second act, but still stands up for himself (and his equally doofus wife) with vigor.
Kenny Moten once again proves why he is one of the most sought-after directors in the state. He keeps everything moving without forcing you to make decisions. The truth and the hurt of the words just wash over you and soak in. There’s a LOT packed into these two hours that you will find yourself pondering days later. Can we ever really have a rational discussion about race? Are the folks who live on Avenue Q correct is assuming that “Everybody’s just a little bit racist?” Will we ever be able to get it straight? Is DEI a waste of time as some would have us believe? Or, in the words of Anne Frank, “In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.”
A WOW factor of 9!!