Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The Birneys gorgeously bring Joseph Dougherty’s haunting two-hander CHESTER BAILEY to life

• By drediman
• October 30, 2022
• No Comments

On the heels, of attending the superb revival of Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog, I found myself in the audience of another affecting two-hander – this time Off-Broadway – by way of Joseph Dougherty’s Chester Bailey at Irish Rep. The play has been in development since 2012, most recently enjoying an acclaimed run at Barrington Stage Company in 2021. For its current New York premiere, the father-and-son acting team of  Reed Birney and Ephraim Birney have returned to the piece to play, respectively, a perceptive doctor and his young mental patient, who suffers from delusions upon suffering a horrific accident.

Throughout the haunting 90-minute play, I was reminded of the pungent works of the late Brian Friel. Like the great Irish playwright, Mr. Dougherty’s writing is articulate and observant. Indeed, in his keen study on the power of the imagination to create realities for ourselves, I was often reminded of Mr. Friel’s Molly Sweeney and Faith Healer, both of which dig deep into their characters’ psyches in their pursuit to shed light on the unexplainable. Mr. Dougherty’s dialogue elegantly volleys between the two characters, tying them together and suggests an inevitable meeting of their respective fates.

The production has been directed by Ron Lagomarsino, who has gracefully staged the play on a set that’s a facsimile of New York’s old Pennsylvania Station. Special mention must go to veteran designer John Lee Beatty for fitting the imposing skeletal frame of the lost train station on Irish Rep’s relatively small stage (from what I can tell, his designs for Barrington Stage Company have been thoughtfully downsized to fit in the more intimate Chelsea venue). By this point, Reed and Ephraim Birney fit these roles like a glove. Suffice to say, both give vivid portrayals, collectively giving a masterclass in acting. Reed – one of our great stage actors – is particularly effective, giving a gorgeous performance that’s piercing in its subtle intensity.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

CHESTER BAILEY
Off-Broadway, Play
Irish Repertory Theatre
1 hour, 30 minutes (without an intermission)
Through November 20