Political Junky Heaven
“Stuff Happens” by David Hare
By Richard Campbell Special to The Epoch Times Nov 5,2006
Leave it to a British playwright to cull the numerous intelligence errors of the current administration to chronicle the self centered betrayal of international law, long standing national defense policies, and our allies, in the rush to war in Iraq. When I speak of intelligence errors, I am referring to consistent stupidity, rather than factual errors based upon unreliable sources. In David Hare’s new play, “Stuff Happens” produced by Zeitgeist Stage Company, he lays out the roadmap of disaster in meticulous detail. Audience members be sure to get your beauty sleep because this provocatively funny and sad journey is a long fact filled mission. For political junkies the play covers familiar ground in a highly imaginative manner; for the increasingly small number of people who still think the war in Iraq was a good idea, this might be an eye opener.
The production design is cleverly minimalist in its aim, sporting rolling board room items, and video screens. Luckily we start with a preview of historical slides accompanied by suitably subtle protest music, as late comers arrive. With such a large cast on a very small stage it is amazing that director David Miller keeps them from running into each other- never mind that he cleverly focuses action to both sides of the claustrophobic theatre. If David Hare should have made this play smaller, the people at the BCA should have allowed Mr. Miller a bigger stage to produce such a monster. There are some very fine renditions of the usual suspects in the principal roles, with rare cases of uneven performances from the secondary ones. This is a big play that is adroitly staged, sometimes lacking in style, but almost always engaging.
There is no question about the stand out principal roles. They are Steven Key as the frustrated Colin Powell, Peter Brown as the menacing and snide Donald Rumsfeld, and Harold Whitee as the comically obtuse President Bush. The latter is particularly striking for his ability to parody the know it all grin, the tendency to stumble through statements only to arrive at bewildering responses, and the conceited testosterone induced smugness, that has made our “cowboy” president famous the world over. The audience laughs hysterically at the history of successive gaffs made by this culturally narrow nationalistic administration, pulling back every so often to realize that perhaps it’s not all so funny -as when Cheryl Singleton sings “Amazing Grace” beautifully.
Steven Key produces a sympathetic character in Colin Powell, revealing his earnestness in trying to prevent the failure of negotiations that lead to war. He bears up statesmanlike, powerful in delivery, eloquent in voice, holding the center of the play steady. One could not have found a more suitable look alike to Dick Cheney than James Bodge, who has mastered the surreptitious side glance, and clandestine manipulation of a presidential puppeteer. Peter Brown’s piercing press conference delivery match Rumsfeld’s life affronting nihilistic statements. Cheryl Singleton has Condolezza Rice’s pert delivery down to a T, and Robert Bonotto plays Blair’s emotions strongly, yet less convincingly. Did he lack study of Blair’s tensionless body and understated clean shaven British style, or is his incongruous interpretation merely less believable because the costume designer neglected to put him in a real suit?
This brings me to the only criticism of this production. I can’t think of a time when the unruliness of costuming drew attention to itself so much on stage. These people are portraying heads of state, and many are dressed like low end sales clerks in cheap suits. It is not merely that Dick Cheney’s sleeves hang sloppily over his hands, that un-pressed bargain basement shirts with rising collars draw further attention to cheap improperly tied ties. It is perhaps no mistake that when these details are handled well, the movements of the associated actors seem similarly polished. Not using quality objects for props is magnified by the small space. The incorrectly surfaced board room table, the cheap looking phone, and the weightless coffins strain credulity. The clever production graphic slide show and accompanying superior sound work almost distracts us from these glaring problems. Almost. With actors working so effectively to maintain a convincing portrayal of people in world power, a little more attention to the externals could put this production over the top.
Richard Campbell is a playwright from Boston Massachusetts, you may view writings
and graphics by him at http://home.earthlink.net/~photocafe/
