BWW Reviews: THE SUBMISSION Plays on Politics of Race and Gender

The Submission

Written by Jeff Talbott, Direction & Scenic Design by David J. Miller; Costume Design, Victor Shopov; Lighting Design, Michael Clark Wonson; Sound Design, J Jumbelic; Stage Manager, Caitlin Mason

CAST (in alphabetical order): Aina Adler, Diego Buscaglia, Matthew Fagerberg, Victor Shopov

Performances through May 30th by Zeitgeist Stage Company at Plaza Black Box, Boston Center for the Arts, 539 Tremont Street, Boston, MA; Box Office 617-933-8600 or www.zeitgeiststage.com

If there is one theater company in Boston that lives up to its name, it is Zeitgeist Stage Company. Artistic Director David J. Miller has a knack for programming plays that fit the spirit or mood of a period of history, past or present, and the current offering at the Plaza Black Box at the Boston Center for the Arts is no exception. In the wake of the hot button racial issues streaming from every news outlet in America, Jeff Talbott's The Submission is a timely treatment of ordinary people forced to confront their ingrained attitudes about race and gender, and take the measure of their integrity. As you get caught up in the flow of the lives of the people on the stage, you cannot escape the social and cultural undertow of Talbott's plot without bumping into your own prejudices.

Victor Shopov (Danny) and Aina Adler (Emilie) create two indelible characters whose strange alliance and interpersonal conflict drive The Submission. A gay, white male writes a gritty play about African-Americans in the inner city, but realizing it will not be taken seriously with his name attached to it, he invents a nom de plume. When Call a Spade by Shaleeha G'ntamobi is selected for the prestigious Humana Festival, Danny hires Emilie, a black actress, to portray the playwright for the rehearsal process in Louisville, Kentucky, with him calling the shots from New York. When Emilie becomes invested in the creative collaboration with the director and veers away from his blueprint, Danny gets nervous and she balks at his increasingly controlling manipulation.

Completing the foursome are Diego Buscaglia as Danny's buttoned down boyfriend Pete and Matthew Fagerberg as his good friend Trevor. Trevor is the first to read Danny's play and discover its promise, but he develops a "thing" with Emilie, dividing his loyalties when the going gets rough. Pete is not a theater artist, but loves and supports Danny wholeheartedly until he begins to see his creepy underbelly. Talbott's script is extremely well-written and he gives his characters a lot to chew on, sculpting each in greater detail by cutting away pieces of their outward personalities until they are left with bone on bone. The same could be said of Miller's directorial style, moving the actors along at a steady pace with no wasted moments, yet allowing them the necessary latitude to stop the action with an uncomfortably long pause at the most critical juncture.

In addition to the more obvious issues of race and gender, Talbott raises the question of who has the right to tell a story. Who can take ownership? Do you have to be black to understand the oppression and convey it properly? Danny argues that his background as a gay man gives him insight and the ability to "know" what people of color go through. Emilie scoffs at his arrogance and insensitivity, eventually figuring out a way to take back her power at his expense. Talbott teaches Danny some tough lessons, but gives him the opportunity to benefit from what he learns about himself.

Miller's scenic design segments the stage into three areas: a Starbucks coffee shop, Pete and Danny's apartment, and an utilitarian space with a desk and phone that can serve as a hotel room. Michael Clark Wonson uses different colored lights behind panels on either end of the set to create moods, and Sound Designer J Jumbelic provides appropriate musical selections in between scenes. Shopov also handles costume design duties, with one item of Danny's clothing causing a bit of a stir (hint: it is a white garment).

The Submission was the inaugural recipient of the Laurents/Hatcher Award in 2011 and was produced Off-Broadway by MCC Theater, winning the Outer Critics Circle John Gassner Award for New American Play in 2012. The ZSC production is the New England premiere of this hard-hitting comedy-drama, and the playwright was in the house at the performance attended by this reviewer. From his remarks at the post-show talkback, it was clear that Talbott approved of Miller's interpretation of his work and he lauded the actors for their raw portrayals. There's not much to add to that, but I expect to be thinking about this play for a long time.

Photo credit: Richard Hall/Silverline Images (Aina Adler, Victor Shopov)

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