Party Lines

Weak writing is the downfall of InterAct's latest production.

By J. Cooper Robb
Add Comment Add Comment | Comments: 0 | Posted Nov. 5, 2008

Political Party: Susan Wilder (bottom) stars with Meghan Heimbecker in War.

Distraught and drinking heavily, Smith is joined in her grief by Jessie (Meghan Heimbecker), a young woman who's been working as a volunteer on the senator's campaign staff. As the two women commiserate over mounting champagne bottles, Jessie blames the loss not on any issues, but rather a number of cosmetic factors, including the opponent's bouncy "soccer mom haircut," Smith's own less-than-fetching hairdo (which bears an eerie resemblance to one-time First Lady Pat Nixon's antiquated coif) and Smith's refusal to exploit either her medical condition (she has diabetes) or her daughter's recent suicide.

Rebecca Wright's tentative direction initially struggles to keep the play on track. Though Party improves over the course of its 75 minutes, the InterAct Theatre Company production never fully recovers from a rough start.

The War Party
Through Nov. 23. $10-$28.
The Adrienne Mainstage, 2030 Sansom St. 215.568.8079. www.interact theatre.org

But the real fault with Party lies neither with Wright's direction nor the performances by Wilder and Heimbecker (both of whom are excellent) but rather with the writing. Inconsistent and featuring more contrivances than a Sarah Palin stump speech, Delaney's script and characters are overly simplistic. Lacking the wit necessary for a successful satire, Delaney establishes stereotypes only to dismantle them, and the plot--which includes a bizarre diabetic coma and a ridiculous food fight--isn't so much surprising as purposefully misleading. The result of all this deception is that Party often seems intentionally manipulative and self-serving.

Party's lack of insightful reflection is particularly disappointing because the subject of women in politics is well worth exploring. But instead of doing a thorough investigation of identity politics in which gender, race, sexual orientation and religious faith are given true consideration, Delaney sacrifices substance in favor of style.

Sporadically involving but also at times nonsensical (exactly why Franklin D. Roosevelt appears from beyond the grave to seduce Smith is beyond comprehension), Delaney concludes Party on an optimistic note, imagining that a transformational candidate could unite a fractured nation. Unfortunately, by that point we're too exhausted from all the manufactured plot twists and perplexing character reversals to pay much attention.

Hopefully Devoted

Terrence McNally's Unusual Acts of Devotion, currently in its world premiere at the Philadelphia Theatre Company, is achingly close to being a great play. Set on a rooftop in Greenwich Village, Devotion focuses on five tenants in a rent-controlled apartment building. A fascinating collection of personalities, the group includes a young married couple celebrating their anniversary (Michael Aronov and Ana Reeder), an elderly widow (Viola Harris), a gay tour guide (Richard Thomas) and a former schoolteacher recently returned from drug rehab (the incredible Faith Prince). The characters share little in common other than an address and a need for love, and over the course of the play McNally shows a keen understanding of how unpredictable and fragile life is. Devotion would be a spectacular play if McNally didn't--at the last moment--underestimate the audience's intelligence. Apparently concerned that the play's message has somehow evaded us, McNally allows a peripheral character to unnecessarily intrude on the proceedings, and then provides another character with a final speech that's equally superfluous. Thankfully, the play's unfortunate conclusion in no way undermines PTC's outstanding production, delicately directed by Leonard Foglia and featuring a stunning set by Santo Loquasto. The performances are astoundingly good; the ensemble ranks among the finest in recent years. At one point the young husband observes that people "want stories and explanations where there are none." There are no answers to life's great mysteries in Devotion. Instead McNally simply reminds us that during our brief existence we should relish both life's pleasures and complications. (J.C.R.) >> Through Nov. 23. $10-$59. Suzanne Roberts Theatre, Broad and Lombard sts. 215.985.0420. www.philadelphiatheatrecompany.org

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