Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – In Primary Stages’ production of PEERLESS, playwright Jiehae Park cleverly mashes “Macbeth” with “Heathers”

• By drediman
• October 31, 2022
• No Comments

This past weekend, I also attended a performance of Primary Stages’ Off-Broadway production of peerless by Jiehae Park at 59E59 Theaters. Based on Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the play is a clever mash-up of “The Scottish Play” and high school flicks like Mean Girls or, more like it, Heathers. In essence, the work tells the story of ambitious and over-achieving twins who will stop at nothing – including a little murder – to ensure that they are admitted to “The College”, which only admits one applicant per year from their high school.

If at the end of the day the loose adaptation registers a little more than pulpy entertainment, it’s nonetheless a hoot to watch. Park has a way with words that’s distinctive and bold. Indeed, her rapid fire dialogue throughout pops with invention and wicked wit. Her efficiently plotted play skillfully distills Shakespeare’s underlying play to its key elements (unlike Sophie McIntosh’s macbitches, another Macbeth-inspired play from earlier this season that took a less play-by-play approach). It’s also refreshing to see the playwright depict Asian Americans as bad-ass characters.

Director Margot Bordelon has given the play a polished, fast-paced staging that compliments Park’s vivid imagination. With the aid of some inspired design work (particularly the evocative lighting and sound), Bordelon has created a world for the play that stylishly exists somewhere between a comic book and a horror film. The five-person cast is fantastic all-around, especially the confident, technically accomplished work by Shannon Tyo (so good earlier this season in the title role of The Chinese Lady) and Sasha Diamond as the murderous twins M and L.

RECOMMENDED

PEERLESS
Off-Broadway, Play
Primary Stages at 59E59 Theaters
1 hour, 20 minutes (without an intermission)
Through November 6