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Man From Nebraska press |
"Man From Nebraska" is Pure Theatre's final offering of their highly memorable third full season here, and what a way to go.
Opening Friday night in the Cigar Factory space, which this company has used so effectively, this drama by Tracy Letts traces a crisis of faith in the life of this most ordinary of men.
Middle-aged Ken, played with conviction and grace by pro Equity actor Randy Neale, can't explain this crisis. We have seen him function (only too normally) in vignettes that take us through a day in the life.
But it is not until this teetotaling Baptist takes himself off to London and experiments with alcohol, drugs and ? gasp ? art that he begins to find himself.
If this plot sounds a bit predictable, you should know that it is in the performances that the magic happens.
Directed by Mark Landis, "Man" becomes an eloquent commentary.
Tish Lynn catches every conflicting nuance of Ken's wife Nancy, at first understanding, then bewildered, then angry, then on the edge of losing her own faith.
College of Charleston theater grad Kara O'Neil captures the complacency that grows into conflict as daughter Ashley. Pure co-founder Rodney Lee Rogers is the earnest and simultaneously slimy preacher boy in town.
Shon Wilson's pro status shows as British barmaid Tamyra, who almost accidentally leads Ken astray, and R.W. Smith infuses her flatmate Harry with a lovable charm.
These clever people also know how to get the cream of local talent too, casting veterans Kay Shroka and Sid Katz in pivotal roles they play to perfection.
When, in 1917, a new, ape-like fossilized tooth was found in Nebraska, the speculative prehistoric owner was dubbed "Nebraska Man" by the popular press. The tooth was later discovered to have come from an animal similar to a wild pig and the classification was retracted, but creationists regularly cite the incident as an example of scientists jumping to conclusions in the evolution debate.
In Tracy Letts' play Man From Nebraska, the main character Ken Carpenter (Randy Neale) is an isolated man who feels abandoned by both science and religion — sort of a modern-day "Nebraska Man." Is he a compilation of cosmic dust? A descendant of apes? A divine creation of God's hand? Ken is a church-going family man who takes care of his ailing mother; he's comfortable in his life and its routines. One night, however, his wife Nancy (Tish Lynn) awakes to the sounds of his sobbing in the bathroom — he admits that he doesn't believe in God anymore.
This sparks the action of the play. Ken has no reason for his loss of faith, and his family is frightened by it. Upon the suggestion of a vacation by his oily pastor, Reverend Todd (played excellently in his nuances by Rodney Lee Rogers), Ken retreats to London, where he spent time as a soldier years prior. As he stays longer in London, he pulls even further away from his family. But in the process he develops into something more whole.
The plot of Man From Nebraska seems a little weak in parts, with Ken losing himself in alcohol (having never liked alcohol before), trying drugs, and going clubbing in London. The premise is a little stale, but the flaw can be overlooked because of the beauty of the end result and the play as a whole.
The first six, largely dialogue-free scenes set up Ken's life: the tedium, the quiet routine. He and Nancy driving. At church. At a restaurant. At the nursing home where his mother resides. Man From Nebraska has cinematic qualities — sound leads into the next scene before you get the visual of it; the play is structured as a series of short scenes or "flashes." It sometimes even seems that a theatrical staging works against this kind of structure. The scene changes between each "flash" often take nearly as long as the scenes themselves. It's not a matter of slow-moving crew; there are just some very short scenes. These scenes should come off like heavy blinks, but the limited technical resources at PURE make that almost impossible.
In spite of those few flaws, Letts has created a beautiful play. The vignettes are small glimpses of life, and later how it changes or goes on. The longer scenes linger just as they should with the moment at hand. Director Mark Landis handles things gracefully, giving even the most emotional moments a delicate, unobtrusive touch that makes each one float — floating and drifting being a recurring theme in the play.
Randy Neale is superb in his portrayal of Ken. His quiet, beaten-down but dignified manner conveys volumes in experience and emotion, and his eyes carry the weight of the world in them. Lynn is the perfect counterpart as Nancy; her midwestern stoicism played with apprehension makes her appear both hardened and brittle.
Kara O'Neil as aggravated daughter Ashley plays her role well, with the right mix of adult and childish behavior. (Equally important is the role of the other, absent daughter Natalie, whose name is mentioned but is too important to show her face. Ken still loves her, even though she doesn't do much to prove her existence.) Shon Wilson, Kay Shroka, Sid Katz, and R.W. Smith turn in impressive performances as the other people involved in Ken's and Nancy's lives.
Whether or not Man From Nebraska will cause you to question your own religion isn't the primary point of the play, but redemption of some sort is. PURE proposes that point softly and powerfully.
'Man from Nebraska'
A comfortable cafeteria table, a familiar church pew and a favorite television show.
These are the constants in the life of Ken Carpenter, a family man, who wakes up one morning to find he has lost his faith, an occurrence made even more intense given the amount of time and effort he has spent building up his system of beliefs.
Carpenter is the protagonist of the play "Man From Nebraska," a 2004 Pulitzer Prize finalist, which opens Friday at Pure Theatre.
Written by Tracy Letts, the production will be directed by Mark Landis, a theater professor at the College of Charleston.
"Man From Nebraska" begins deep in America's heartland, Lincoln, Neb., and focuses upon Carpenter, a 57-year-old insurance agent with a comfortable life and a lovely wife and daughter, as well as a strong Baptist faith. He seems to be a middle-age, middle-class Everyman.
When Carpenter suddenly becomes aware of his loss of faith or, more accurately, realizes he may never have really had it in the first place, his comfortable life fractures. He decides to leave behind the cornfields of Lincoln to discover the counterculture of London in a reckless, revealing journey of self-discovery.
Director Landis says, "This is a cautionary tale for people of any religious or secular beliefs ... (it) tells of the dangers of leading the unexamined life. It also contains some fascinating and intimate scenes with Ken and his wife, Nancy, who is thrust into her husband's crisis of faith and, whether she wants to or not, must now do some questioning of her own.
Landis adds, "The play is often funny, however, and is also an honest portrait of some truly good people and their values."
"Man From Nebraska" received its world premiere at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre in 2003. It next made its West Coast premiere at the South Coast Repertory Theatre in Los Angeles. It was named one of the Top 10 plays of 2004 by Time magazine.
Playwright and actor Letts is an ensemble member and artistic associate at Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago. In addition to "Man from Nebraska," he also wrote "Killer Joe" and "Bug," which have been produced in Chicago, London and New York. He has appeared in television on "Seinfeld," "The Drew Carey Show" and "The District."
Taking the starring role of Carpenter will be Randy Neale, appearing courtesy of the Actors Equity Association. Neale is a veteran actor with credits in New York and elsewhere. Tish Lynn will portray his wife, Nancy, and Shon Wilson will appear as a young woman who serves as Carpenter's guide on his voyage to self-discovery.
Rodney Lee Rogers will portray the Rev. Todd. Others in the cast are R.W. Smith, Kara O'Neal, Sid Katz, and Kay Shroka.
Performances are at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, continuing May 11-13; 18-20 at Pure Theatre in the Cigar Factory, 701 East Bay St. Tickets are $18 and may be purchased at the door or by calling 723-4444.
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