Date rape. Abortion. Bullying. Homophobia. Clueless parenting. Loveless marriages. America’s love affair with guns and sordid violent acts. The inability of teachers to truly assist students due to legal and bureaucratic red tape.Teen suicide. Media pundits’ shouting, alarmist outcries on the loss of tradition and Constitutional values. Were I announcing a complete list of the topics covered throughout a theatre company’s entire theatrical season, this would seem a bit overly ambitious and overwhelming. But Illinois Theatre’s latest production of Theresa Rebeck’s primal scream of a play, O Beautiful , attempts to jam all of these topics, plus several historical figures — including Jesus Christ — into a two-hour meditation on contemporary America. Surprisingly, this theatrical event is far more engaging — and humorous — than one might expect, and I applaud the Powers That Be at Krannert’s theatre program for mounting this highly relevant — if flawed — work.
There is a lot to like in this intelligent production, thanks to the skillful work of guest director Gina Rattan. The production boasts an extremely gifted and engaging ensemble of young and energetic actors, and it moves rapidly through a series of vignettes, portraying a typical American community in suburban Delaware coping with all of the above listed issues in a frenzied fashion. Rattan keeps the pace brisk and the staging simple and effective with an attractive scenic design by Elliot Djuric, solid and witty costuming by Ellen Danforth, and projection and sound assistance by Joseph A. Burke and Cynthia Booker, respectively. The stark white-and-wood-grain set design is deceptively simple, but includes some amazing detail including the use of toile curtains in the kitchen area, a mind-blowingly subtle reference to the historic roots of this country. The smart set design is aided through transitional music and projections which give the busy script a much-needed anchor of place and time and also provide some clever commentary on the proceedings. While some of the songs used are a bit dated for a “current” high school drama, their themes all fit and the snippets are well chosen. Rattan clearly demonstrates an understanding of youthful America and dramatic timing. She is forced to juggle a plethora of balls in this large-cast production and does so admirably, even distracting from where the script falls short. Her well-paced scene changes, which utilize the bustle of actors to facilitate the effortless shifts, marry the physical realm and the actors beautifully; and, to her credit, Rattan knows when to let this play be still and contemplative, which gives us some of the most moving moments of the evening.
As stated previously, the acting ensemble is top notch throughout, led by the radiant Sally Hamer and the charmingly boyish Colton Adams as the two beleaguered teens at the center of this drama. Hamer begins the proceedings with a lovely, lost girl quality, and Adams gives an awkward optimism to his character’s doomed ambitions. Both rise to the occasion when their characters’ emotional intensity requires it, and they are a pleasure to watch as they practice their craft. The mean trio responsible for their pain — and underestimate the toxic nature of their actions — is ably embodied by Ryan Leonard, Ford Bowers, and Kara Chinthana Sotakoum.
A difficulty with college productions can be students portraying more mature roles, but that is not a problem here. These actors are so well-cast and engaging that we forget their ages and focus on their stories. Special note needs given to Mark E. Fox and Allison Morse as Hamer’s clueless Christian parents; Katarian G. Spungen and Kristina Loy as soccer moms from hell; and Adam Thatcher and Sarah Ruggle as perfect parents debating the merits of a handgun in their home. Ruggle is particularly moving as her character’s world spins out of control around her. As the well-meaning but clueless teacher who tries to curb the carnage, Kyle Bullock is appropriately empathetic, and Ryan Jenkins has a nice comic touch as his social worker sister. Timuchin Aker is convincingly slimy as Simon West, a blow-hard television host who screams and whines for the country to return to a by-gone era he knows little about.
One of the script’s unique conceits has the contemporary characters interacting with historical figures who provide commentary and balance to the current madness. The best written and realized of these characters from the past is the I-REALLY-LOVE-PERAL-JAM-AND-KURT-COBAIN-ROCKS-TOO-attired Jesus, portrayed skillfully by David Monahan. His Emo-Jesus is both awkwardly wordless and empathetic, though the powerlessness given him by the text of the piece becomes frustrating as the events around him spin out of control. Another standout is Fox’s Benjamin Franklin in a moment where the script comes close to realizing its point of view, and there is additional solid work by a host of actors portraying, among others, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, Saint Joan, and Saint Paul.
All of these wonderful elements are eventually used in service of Rebeck’s sprawling script, and, to their credit, they mostly succeed and make this production as solid as it is. Rebeck (pictured, left) has a good ear for youthful voices and interactions, but her cardboard cutout parents and clueless adults are a sad contrast to her richly drawn adolescents. (Note to playwrights: PLEASE STOP writing teachers as both preternaturally empathetic and mind-numbingly stupid. Sure, we’re pretty cool, but we’re not this dumb!) The use of historic figures fares better because her writing is crisper and has both more of a biting point and the beginnings of a commentary (which is unfortunately, never fully voiced). Clearly the script as a whole attempts to address too much, the result being a draft of what should become five or six plays about the issues raised. This is particularly apparent at the play’s ending where it…just…ends…with a muted thump. The play attempts to be a modern Greek tragedy and perhaps should take a note from its predecessors and just let Jesus do it! When one of your characters is the Son of God and religion is the only contemporary institution you don’t criticize, perhaps Jesus really does have the answer…or at least, a conclusion that will be as powerful as the first two-thirds of this piece.
Frustrations with the text aside, this is a stellar effort for all involved, with relevant topics that you’ll be discussing long after the ride home, and I highly recommend seeing this thought-provoking production before it ends on April 13th.