Review: TRIBES IS A COMPELLING DRAMA at Road Less Traveled Productions

In typical form, Road Less Traveled Productions in Buffalo presents a play to challenge and stimulate the senses in it's gripping production of TRIBES by Nina Raines. Never a company to shy away from forthright complex topics, TRIBES has been in the works for over 2 years, derailed by the Covid pandemic. Happily the production was worth the wait as it grapples with one dysfunctional family's life, that behind closed doors often plays out with angst and venom masquerading as love

Raine has fashioned her script around the challenges of a deaf college student named Billy who returns to live at his parent's home with his adults siblings.. His "artsy" family includes a mentally disturbed brother writing his thesis on the idiocy of the English language, a mother who is penning a murder mystery, a father who is an overbearing retired Professor and a sister who is a failing wanna-be opera singer. All endlessly scream and swear at each other, belittling at every step, while deaf Billy lives his life in near silence, using only his lip reading skills and remnants of hearing (thanks to his hearing aids). An outsider in the character of Sylvia, becomes Billy's love interest-- oh, and she is going deaf too.

There are fascinating issues that explore the nature of speech, how it can and can't be used and interpreted, contrasted with sign language's possible inadequacies. Raine's skillful writing places us in situations where sign language is translated on video screens cleverly incorporated into the set. The audience is left to ponder language and communication in all of it's forms-- written, spoke, signed, sung and even through voices in one's own head as they slip into delusional thinking. Are the "hearing characters" ever really listening, despite being able to hear and do the deaf characters actually comprehend more than the other's may believe.

Billy is played by newcomer Dave Wantuck. He is charming and innocent from the outset, clearly living in a silent world, but extremely observant and knowing. Wantuck brings a credible authenticity to the role that sucks you in. His subtly, and often his silence, is palpable throughout. Anna Krempholtz brings some levity and veritas to the role of his sister Ruth. She is floundering in her existence, without a clear cut path in her life.

Johnny Barden is a fascinating ball of fire as the deeply troubled brother Dan. Prone to explosions and mental breakdowns, Barden manages to turn a very unlikable character into one who tugs at your heart strings as he mentally unravels. His horrendous home life and failures in a romantic relationship make him bitter and Barden is captivating in this juicy role. He eventually decompensates before our eyes into delusional thinking and stuttering, unable to fully communicate with spoken words by the plays dramatic end..

Melinda Capeles as Sylvia turns in a lovely performance as the only outsider to the family. She finds humor when needed yet brings a humanity and normalcy to the strained relations among Billy's family members. Her scenes with Wantuk are true to life, as the two fall in love through a combination of spoken and signed conversations. One of finest scenes of the evening come as Capeles grapples with expressing her struggles with going deaf, versus a person who has always been deaf like Billy.

The parents are played by David Marciniak and Margaret Massman. Marciniak is great as the blustering college professor who is irritating from the outset. His pre-occupation with literature supercedes any hint of familial love. He escapes to his head phones as he attempts to learn Chinese, but refuses any suggestion that he learn sign language. Ms. Massman has the motherly virtues that one would hope for, but is merely a bystander in the overbearing shadow of her husband. The two are persecuted for never learning or teaching Billy sign language in an effort to help minimize his disability, but in doing so have they done him a disservice?

Set designer Lynne Koscielniak has given us a fully fleshed out home, with multiple playing levels and set decoration that is attentive to every detail. Lighting by John Rickus is effective and subtle.

Director Doug Zschiegner has a mammoth task in guiding the actors in this complicated play of languages and sensory overload. Whose screaming is heard, who is living in a silent world, who needs to face who in order to be understood... these logistics are so important to making the story believable and Zschiegner stages the action with exacting detail. Given his talented cast, the end product is not to be missed.

TRIBES plays at Road Less Traveled theatre through MARCH 27,2022. In partnership with Deaf Access Services, RLTP will also offer an ASL performances on Sunday March 27 at 2:00pm. Contact www.roadlesstraveledproductions.org for more information.

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