Review: hang at 1st Stage

1st Stage brings hang, a play written by British playwright Debbie Tucker Green, to the DC metro area. hang first premiered at The Royal Court Theatre in 2015. While the play itself was written ten years ago, it deals with a topic which continues to be debated in the United States, and still done in some states: the death penalty. 

1st Stage’s production of hang, directed by Deidra LaWan Starnes, is set in a future where victims of a crime are able to choose how the criminal dies. Three, played by Lolita Marie, is a mother whose life changed drastically after a crime was committed against her and her children. She is brought to a concrete room with no windows by the bumbling Two (Patrick Joy) and the business-minded One (Elllis Greer). One and Two aren’t police officers; they are employees of an unnamed company. One and Two are supposedly there to be a comforting presence for victims, but their conversations with Three cause her extreme stress as she is forced to think about how the crime has changed herself and her family. 

hang takes its time getting to what the play is actually about. There are conversations about making Three comfortable, a monologue or two from Three, and lots of mentions of tea, water, and IKEA. All of which try to create a looming sense of tension, but it does the opposite of this. It makes the play meander, which really hinders the plot’s pacing, as well as, the character development. The suspense doesn't really start to develop until the final half hour, and this is where the small ensemble cast of Marie, Greer, and Joy really shine. There is a buzzing tension which permeates from the stage during those scenes where Marie must make her ultimate decision. Those last few moments are where Lolita Marie’s performance as Three is haunting.

The set, designed by Giorgos Tsappas, resembles an underground concrete bunker, devoid of anything comfortable, and this adds to the unsettling atmosphere of the play. There are plenty of opportunities for hang to build tension through the strategic use of silence. However, 1st Stage’s production makes use of droning noises, muffled cries, and stirring music. While this would work for a film, it becomes a distraction for a theatrical performance. 

hang is a tough play to watch due to its subject matter. Anyone who plans on seeing this play should know that there are graphic depictions of methods of execution. 

Run Time: 80 minutes without an intermission 

hang, directed by Deidra LaWan Starnes,  runs until March 30, 2025 at 1st Stage in Tysons, VA.  

Photo Caption & Credit: (l-r) Patrick Joy, Lolita Marie, and Ellis Greer in HANG, March 13 - 30. Photo by Teresa Castracane Photography