Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – Superb specimens of downtown theater this fall: Dmitry Krymov’s BIG TRIP at La MaMa and Max Wolf Friedlich’s JOB at SoHo Playhouse

• By drediman
• October 16, 2023
• No Comments

This autumn, I had the great pleasure taking in superb specimens of downtown theater that had me reeling with their exceptional quality. Here are my thoughts on them.

BIG TRIP
La MaMa
Closed

Down at La MaMa — that venerable East Village hotbed for experimental theater — I caught the closing performance of Big Trip (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) from visionary director Dmitry Krymov. The sold out two-production endeavor also marks the exiled Russian artist’s full American debut (he now calls New York home). The first installment — entitled Pushkin “Eugene Onegin” in our own words —attempts to articulate the the Russian literary classic Eugene Onegin to a roomful of American children. In the process, Krymov and his company question the merits of classic works, especially those that literally get lost in translation. Then there’s Big Trip’s second part Three love stories near the railroad, which uses a pair of short stories by Ernest Hemingway (Hills Like White Elephants, A Canary for One) and a Eugene O’Neill play (Desire Under the Elms) to examine the notion of love in its various prismatic iterations. Both productions feature a single extraordinary company which Krymov himself has assembled and reared. Vitally present, they create arresting and poetic theater in the most elemental sense — one in which invention and play feel ever so spontaneous and alive, and the possibilities of storytelling and expression limitless. Despite a shoestring budget (or maybe because of it?) witnessing both works were heady, invigorating masterclasses in the act of creation itself. All in all, the decision to include Krymov’s Big Trip in its fall season represents a triumphant piece of programming by the folks at La MaMa.

JOB
SoHo Playhouse
Through October 29

Then over on the west side of Manhattan (but still downtown!), SoHo Playhouse has also hit the bullseye, currently selling out houses with Max Wolf Friedlich’s new two-character play Job (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED). Tersely and at times surreally directed by Michael Herwitz and featuring sizzling performances by Peter Friedman and Sydney Lemmon, the piece is in essence a hybrid between a revenge play and a battle royal between the sexes (and generations). In more ways than one, it calls to minds David Mamet’s 1992 two-hander Oleanna — but instead of that earlier work’s vaguely wrought (albeit tense) exchanges, Friedlich’s play ultimately hinges on the details. Over the course of the work’s unpredictable, masterfully paced 80-minutes, the playwright sinuously reveals key information, keeping the audience jarringly off-balance until the shocking and unnerving final tableau. Indeed, Job is one of those rare theatrical works in which the playwright is truly one step ahead of the audience. In terms of performances, Lemmon is both disturbing and disarming in her portrayal of a deeply troubled young woman who has been seemingly let go from her stressful job (no spoilers here). In turn unhinged and incredibly lucid, it’s a searing performance that really got under my skin. Playing her therapist and foil, Friedman on the other hand seems to be the voice of reason for much of the play — until he’s not (again, no spoilers!). It’s a subtle piece of acting that contrasts gorgeously with Lemmon’s combustible performance.