Written by 2:13 am Lake Forest, Modjeska Playhouse, Review, Theater, Uncategorized

The Understudy @ The Modjeska Playhouse in Lake Forest – Review

Written by Patrick Chavis 

Plays are a great medium for focusing on one subject. You’ve got a stage, actors, a few props, and –potentially–maybe only a few scene changes. For the most part, plays are very good at stripping away the excess of the exterior and uncovering the inner workings of the people and ideas right in front of you. Theresa Rebeck’s play The Understudy (running now at The Modjeska Playhouse) is one of those plays. However, it tries to walk a tightrope between comedy and drama, with jokes that fail to bring laughs and dramatic moments that lack weight.   

Story:

The Understudy occurs during a rehearsal between two understudies, Harry and Jake.   Principal understudy Jake (Robert Downs) is a successful actor backed by a lengthy resume full of action films. On much more unstable ground is the newest performer, Harry (Jaycob Hunter), an opinionated journeyman actor. Harry’s talented but hasn’t entirely made it yet –and he’s just been cast to understudy in a Kafka play. Roxanne, the stage manager, is overseeing the rehearsal with the alleged assistance of Laura –the offstage light operator who doesn’t give a hoot about anything and constantly screws up the lighting directions. Throughout the rehearsal, we learn about each character, their previous connections with each other, and some of the many struggles of being an actor.

To understand what’s going on in this play, you should understand Kafka, or at least what he was about.   Franz Kafka was a literary giant from the 1800s. Kafka was known for writing surreal and deeply affecting stories about human society and the absurd things people do. His work influenced many, such as Albert Camus –the French writer and philosopher who pioneered absurdism. Absurdism is the idea that humans constantly look for meaning in life while the world around them is indifferent. It doesn’t matter if you want to be a doctor or an artist or your favorite color is pink or green; the universe will continue with or without you. The Understudy is like the Diet Pepsi of absurdism. It lets you briefly taste absurdism but doesn’t give you the sugary rush you want. The play tries to do a balancing act between a very grounded story and these absurdist ideas, but they don’t connect. The Laura character -the unseen, uncaring God character of this story is supposed to be funny but comes off as annoying. The drama occasionally works between the three main characters, but even their interactions feel forced in certain circumstances. Story-wise, the play does communicate one of the basic solutions absurdism proposes: even though the acting industry –aka life –is inevitably a struggle, we can find some happiness in the process.   

Set:  

The show’s set is disconnected from the source material. The show is about rehearsing for a Kafka show on Broadway, but the set is a basic castle with a few banners. There’s nothing Kafka about it from my perspective.

Acting:

Jake –played by Robert Downs –is my undoubted favorite. Downs plays the role of Jake with ease. Initially, he is a character we should believe has no problems. Yet as the play goes on, Jake reveals more about himself, and the audience discovers even someone like Jake isn’t as happy as you would think. Downs can translate these feelings to the audience without being overly dramatic, which would have been off-putting for the person he portrays.

This play is a comedic satire with deeply dramatic plot lines and an ambitious Kafka-esque message that also critiques the film and theater industry. While I don’t believe the Modjeska Playhouse put on a fully realized production of this show, the play would be a well-written mess for even the largest of theaters.    

 

 

OKAY

Review
6.7 Overall
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Story7.5
Acting8
Set & Design5
Costumes6
Entertainment7
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Tags: , , , , , , , , Last modified: September 27, 2023
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