What They Have
Commissioned by South Coast Repertory in its ongoing commitment
to produce new plays, "What They Have" (Kate Robin's "trivial
comedy for serious people"), opened last weekend as part of SCR's 11th
annual Pacific Playwrights Festival.
The title of this hip, glib, intelligent work seems enigmatic until
viewers connect the dots. All four characters in Robin's tempestuous
sea of unrest are desperately searching for a better way of life.
For two hours they confront themselves or torture each other
with the timeless, insurmountable question: "Why can't we be content
with what we have, instead of comparing, coveting, or being jealous
of "what THEY have"?
There is no doubt that Robin has a rapier wit and knows how to
use it. Anyone who has watched her edgy series, "Six Feet Under," on
HBO TV can attest to that. Now she's trying her hand as a playwright
and she certainly knows her craft.
With content aimed at a thirty-something audience, words sing,
concepts zing, questions probe, wounds smart, emotions bleed, action
moves fast, and momentum builds to a crescendo. As for an ending,
there is none. Just like life, no one knows what the outcome will be.
Under the tight-fisted direction of Chris Fields (an
award-winning actor himself, member of Eugene O'Neill Playwrights
Festival and founder of the Ojai Playwright's conference), the cast
is superb.
Performing as one seamless ensemble, Nancy Bell, Marin Hinkle,
Matt Letscher, and Kevin Rahm deliver their lines with such energetic
passion they electrify the audience. Like all good comedies, the play
has a serious subtext beneath its hi-jinx that touches the nerve
of contemporary culture.
The action takes place in Los Angeles: both now and one year
later. Kudos to Christopher Barreca for his stylized turn-table set
that rotates from artist's digs through lavish apartment, executive
office, hospital, studio, and back again as fast as the words demand.
And to Lap-Chi Chu for his stunning lighting design that enhances
what happened during the year.
"What They Have" is a tale of two couples, life-long best
friends, who live in the madness of the entertainment industry.
Jonas (Matt Letscher) and Connie (Marin Hinkle) have hit the big time
and are both wealthy and successful: he as a TV writer, she as a
movie producer.
The other couple, Matt (Kevin Rahm) and Suzanne (Nancy Bell),
have to struggle to survive. He teaches guitar in the public school
system instead of composing and playing in concerts as he did before
they were married. She paints commercial landscapes that are
guaranteed to sell instead of creative ideas she's been longing to try.
The play begins in Suzanne's studio where Jonas and Connie have
come to buy a painting. Within minutes we see how envious and
jealous Matt is of Jonas, while Suzanne tries to control her own
disappointment with New Wave spirituality, Hinduism, and the power of
positive thinking.
We also learn that Connie is pregnant (the ultimate creative act
is life itself), while Suzanne has had another miscarriage (which
underscores her inability to be creative). Tempers rage, words fly,
life goes on.
Within days, Connie looses her baby and depression sets in; then
Suzanne gets pregnant and the tables are turned. In spite of their
high life-style life and financial comfort, Jonas and Connie become
mired in the doldrums; while Matt and Suzanne become energized and
happily await the birth of their daughter.
Then wouldn't you know it; things change again, and again, and
again.
If this plot sounds mundane and you think you've heard it all
before; you're right, you have. It's as timeless as Cain and Able.
But
in the hands of Fields and his exceptional cast, Robin's journey is
thought-provoking; peppered with spice, spit and vinegar; and loaded
with laughter at human foibles.
Where: South Coast Repertory, 655 Town Center Dr., Costa Mesa
When: Tues-Wed., 7:30 pm; Thur-Fri, 8:00 pm; Sat, 2:30 & 8:00 pm;
Sun, 2:30 & 7:30 pm; through May 4
Tickets: $28-$62 at (714) 708-5555, at www.scr.org, or at box office