THE HANGOVER REPORT – Agnes Borinsky’s beguiling if confounding THE TREES brings together Samuel Beckett and Sesame Street

Then company of Playwright Horizons and Page 73’s co-production of “The Trees” by Agnes Borinsky at Playwrights Horizons’ Mainstage Theater (photo by Chelcie Parry).

Last night, I had the opportunity to catch up with Agnes Borinsky’s new play The Trees at Playwrights Horizons’ mainstage. A co-production with Page 73 — another theater company with a strong track record for presenting new works — Borinsky’s surreal work tells the tale of two siblings (a brother and a sister) who inexplicably and literally take root and transform into trees. Through the years, they nurture relationships and develop a community of their own in their new, modified form.

Suffice to say, The Trees is a confounding piece of theater, and it stubbornly keeps many of its secrets and motivations close to its chest. That being said, the play is also a fascinating hybrid — much like its protagonists — in that it calls to mind both the absurd works of Samuel Beckett (those of you who have seen or read Endgame and/or Happy Days will know what I mean), as well as the congenial spirit of the seminal children’s television program Sesame Street. As evidenced in Song of Songs (the playwright’s previous endeavor for the Bushwick Starr), Borinsky has a knack for creating worlds that operate with their own logic, which translates into disorienting landscapes that implore us to question the world we live in. Although some may find the play’s seeming vagueness frustrating, I found watching it to be a liberating experience, untethering emotions and concepts from stale, earthbound connotations we’ve become accustomed to.

The production has been directed by Tina Satter, who stages the play with a keen ear and eye as it relates to the text (kudos especially to the design team for realizing the quirky world with inspired panache). The ensemble cast dives headlong into Borinsky’s vision of whimsy and wonder; it was a pleasure to spend time in their company. Although it took me a while to settle into Borinsky’s world, I was ultimately beguiled by its gentle spirit and nudging reminder to appreciate each precious moment that life affords us despite (or because of?) its winding turns.

RECOMMENDED

THE TREES
Off-Broadway, Play
Playwrights Horizons / Page 73
1 hour, 45 minutes (without an intermission)
Through March 19

Categories: Off-Broadway, Theater

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