Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Johnny G. Lloyd’s philosophical new play PATIENCE explores the choices that make up life through the lens of Black excellence

• By drediman
• August 19, 2022
• No Comments

This week, Johnny G. Lloyd’s Patience opened Off-Broadway at the McGinn/Cazale Theater in the Upper West Side courtesy of Second Stage Theater’s “Uptown” series, which is currently celebrating its 20th anniversary season. The colorfully-acted play tells the story of Daniel, a 25-year-old competitive solitaire champion whose comfortable personal life and successful career take a turn when he gets engaged to his boyfriend (Jordan) and is faced with a hungry young solitaire virtuoso (Ella), who may very well prove to be the next big thing in competitive solitaire.

Who knew there could be so much drama squeezed out of such an introverted solo activity? But fans of theater and television know that such psychologically sensitive “games” have long been the fodder for dramatic treatment – for example, the play The Nap hinges upon a snooker match, and chess has inspired the Emmy-winning The Queen’s Gambit and of course the famously notorious eponymously named musical Chess. Now we can add competitive solitaire to the list. There’s a lot to unpack in Mr. Lloyd’s philosophical new play. Although life may seem like it unfolds glacially and often imperceptibly, Mr. Lloyd is intent in his play to cast light on the mechanism that underlies it all. As such, there’s almost a Stoppardian rigor to the play that may alienate some audience members. I found it to be a strength, particularly through the lens of Black excellence. In Patience, the playwright explores the choices that make up life, using the game of solitaire as a metaphor for living life. In both, one must make choices and adapt to the resulting set of circumstances.

Director Zhailon Levingston has given Patience a sexy staging (thanks largely to the work of the production’s excellent design team) that stylishly accommodates the play’s occasional surreal flights of fancy. The performances are fantastic, starting with Justin Davis’s searching performance as Daniel. His portrayal is compellingly transparent as Daniel painfully navigates the shifting meaning of his role as a son, friend, competitor, and lover. The other standout is Zainab Barry, who tremulously imbues Ella with vulnerability and a hunger for success that resides in us all.

RECOMMENDED

PATIENCE
Off-Broadway, Play
Second Stage Theater at the McGinn/Cazale Theater
1 hour, 35 minutes (without an intermission)
Through August 28