We are currently experiencing the good, the bad and the downright ugly, especially those of us living here in the United States of MAGA. I hesitate to quote Charles Dickens just yet (“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...”) Oops, I guess I just did. At any rate, I’m firmly convinced our humanity is being tested. Time will tell whether we succeed or fail.
Thankfully, theatre professionals and other artists are responding in their time-honored, reflective ways. Here are my responses to a few of their recent endeavors I was able to attend/witness.
Complications
in Sue (World Premiere at the
Philadelphia Academy of Music)
Writer and composer Michael R. Jackson has made quite a name for himself in the theatre world these last few years. His revolutionary musical A Strange Loop won not only multiple Tony Awards but the Pulitzer Prize, while his subsequent works White Girl in Danger and Teeth (adapted from the provocative 2007 movie) rocked the off-Broadway scene.
For the queer artist’s next act, Jackson has turned to opera for the first time. He wrote the libretto for Complications in Sue, which just celebrated its world premiere February 4th-8th. Reverend was privileged to attend one of the performances and was thrilled to meet Jackson beforehand.
The inspiration for this unique effort came not only from Jackson but also from revered cabaret performer Justin Vivian Bond. Bond is a trans artist perhaps best known as Kiki of the famed duo Kiki & Herb. They sought to explore the life of a woman from her birth to the moment of her death. Perhaps needless to say, the title character Sue’s experience turned out to be…complicated. Bond stars as Sue in the production.
Her life is presented through 10 different vignettes, one for each decade. Jackson wrote the libretto or lyrics for all of them but 10 different composers were employed for the music, one for each vignette. I went in most skeptical about this approach yet emerged a believer. Although the composers did not meet or collaborate directly during the process, their resultant score (beautifully conducted by Caren Levine) sounds and feels of one piece. Bravo/brava!
A very talented cast of 8 singers supported Bond, who actually only sang in one of the vignettes. Most characters in the opera can be seen as an aspect or version of Sue as she progresses through life. Her husband, Santa & Mrs. Claus, and Death (represented by a 4-person Greek chorus) are other figures depicted who are more external to Sue.
I hate to say it, but the biggest flaws I found in Complications in Sue were in Jackson’s libretto. To be fair, this was his first attempt to write an opera. One of his greatest skills or gifts is his unapologetic ability to address social concerns in his work. Racial disparities, religious hypocrisy, sex, celebrity, HIV/AIDS and gender distinctions have all been confronted powerfully in his musicals. Some of these figure in Complications in Sue, but the libretto’s biggest and ultimately redundant criticisms are leveled at modern technology. Smartphones and the internet, along with their inherent algorithms and billionaire creators/sponsors, are the primary targets of Jackson’s disdain here. At least 3 of the opera’s vignettes address these. They are legitimate concerns but exploring more timeless, uniquely personal “complications” in Sue’s life would have been more dramatically compelling.
The single most crowd-pleasing moment of the night was when Justin Vivian Bond spoke directly to the audience as their self during a provided but unscripted interlude in the libretto (a pre-show lecture alerted those in attendance of this and that one never knew exactly what Bond would say). During our performance, Bond first related a conversation they had with actress-activist Jane Fonda about trans lives. This evolved into and culminated in a deliriously foul-mouthed smackdown of President Trump, our current Congress, the US Supreme Court, MAGA and ICE. All of this received greater applause from us attendees than the opera received during its final curtain call, although that applause was generous.
I greatly appreciated the opportunity to experience this new work, especially since its absolutely gorgeous host performance space is the oldest enduring theater in the USA at nearly 170 years old! I affirm the ever-interesting Michael R. Jackson and can’t wait to see/hear what he has up his sleeve next.
Reverend’s Rating: B
This play, set in the not-too-distant future, also deals with technological advances but is generally more complementary toward them. I attended its world premiere at Los Angeles’s Mark Taper Forum in 2014. Beloved actress Lois Smith headlined the production as well as a 2017 film adaptation.
Jordan Harrison’s speculative sci-fi dramedy is just now receiving its Broadway premiere, which runs through this weekend. The starry cast includes 96-year-old (!) Oscar nominee June Squibb plus Tony Award winners Danny Burstein and Cynthia Nixon. They play family members who avail themselves of the opportunity to have deceased loved ones re-created as interactive “primes” via AI. However, the living must teach each prime to become more accurate, which proves challenging for both the primes and those struggling to keep memories of their loved ones alive.
Anne Kauffman helms this beautifully staged and designed production. The four-member cast (Christopher Lowell is the other player) is excellent, with Burstein bringing extra poignancy to his role in the wake of his real-life wife’s (actress Rebecca Luker) fairly recent passing. Marjorie Prime becomes more timely and topical with each passing year in terms of its exploration of both technology and humanity. It is frequently staged by local theatre companies, so I recommend everyone who hasn’t yet done so catch a production of it or watch the movie at some point.
Reverend’s Rating: A-
Carrie Coon is a loooong way from her lavishly, fully dressed character on HBO’s The Gilded Age in this intense revival of Tracy Letts’ paranoia-infused drama. She headlines the production as Agnes, who is trying to escape her abusive husband and a tragic loss by holing up in an Oklahoma City motel room.
When military defector Peter (played by Namir Smallwood) is introduced to Agnes via a friend, the pair develop a tentative yet tender romance. Unfortunately, Peter’s schizophrenia starts to reveal itself, primarily through his conviction that he is infested with some kind of insect courtesy of military experiments to which he was subjected. Though Agnes is initially skeptical, she soon comes to join Peter in his delusional (or are they?) beliefs.
Coon and Smallwood are superb as they bare their souls and bodies. I expect both to be recognized with Tony Award nominations this season, and Coon could easily win. David Cromer’s taut direction, Takeshi Kata’s scenic design and Heather Gilbert’s lighting are exceptional, and make audience members feel like we are in the hotel room with Agnes and Peter.
But Bug is an unpleasant play and, at times, an uncomfortable viewing experience. I can’t recommend it for everyone, especially any survivors of domestic violence and/or mental illness. Letts’ work also contains some political parallels queasily applicable to our current state of affairs in the USA. While this is a very impressive production, potential attendees should proceed with caution.
Reverend’s Rating: B
The Most Reverend Chris Carpenter is editor of Movie Dearest and chief contributor. He has been reviewing movies and theatre since 1996 and also contributes to Rage Monthly magazine (ragemonthly.com). He is a founding member and former Vice President of GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Critics (galeca.com) and currently serves as a nominating/voting member of its New York-based Theatre Wing. Reverend Carpenter has been an ordained minister since 1995.
