Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Soho Rep’s insidious, convention-busting production of WHILE YOU WERE PARTYING unnerves and unsettles

• By drediman
• November 24, 2021
• No Comments

Yet another Off-Broadway theater to return to in-person performance is the small but mighty Soho Repertory Theater, which over the years has amassed a body of work that is surely the envy of companies multiple times its size (e.g., the 2019 Pulitzer Prize-winning play Fairview by Jackie Sibblies Drury originated there). To reopen its doors at the tiny Walkerspace, Soho Rep has chosen Peter Mills Weiss and Julia Mounsey’s while you were partying, surely on of the most avant-garde pieces of theater of this increasingly busy fall season. In essence, the work tells the traumatic autobiographical – or is it? – story of Ms. Mounsey’s forced relocation back to her parent’s house during the pandemic (I won’t spoil the play for you by expounding on the details).

The short but searing play is divided into three stylistically distinct sections. Although each is told from Ms. Mounsey’s perspective, none of her words are actually delivered by her in person – the first is a confessional conveyed via a recording, the second is a comedy sketch authored by her but not performed by her, and the last is another confessional performed by a fellow cast member. Its experimental pedigree aside, the play is also one fo the fall season’s more haunting and insidious works, exploring cruelty, shame, and rage with unabashed clarity. Admittedly, while you were partying is not for everyone; those looking for a traditional narrative arc may well find themselves alienated by the experience. However, more adventurous theatergoers will likely find its convention-busting play on form terribly exciting.

The sparsely adorned Soho Rep production has been staged with startling intensity and is blisteringly performed by its two creators, in addition to actor Brian Fiddyment. Ms. Mounsey gave one of the most terrifying performances I’ve ever seen in 50/50 [old school animation] (which I caught during its brief run at the 2019 Under the Radar Festival), and she’s once again frighteningly coiled here, daring you to flinch as she steadily and unnervingly gazes into the audience. Her co-stars bring added dimension to the play’s unsettling exploration, giving performances both manic (Mr. Fiddyment) and wry (Mr. Weiss). Make no mistake, while you were partying got under my skin.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

WHILE YOU WERE PARTYING
Off-Broadway, Play
Soho Repertory Theater
55 minutes (without an intermission)
Through November 28