Raised in Captivity: What's the Matter with Kids Today?

Red Fern Theatre Company seeks to incite positive change in the community by producing socially conscious plays while partnering with philanthropies whose mission seeks to assist those affected by the issues addressed in the play.

This time around, the play is Nicky Silver's absurdist dark comedy Raised in Captivity, and the organization benefitting is Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow, which helps disadvantaged youth and adults recognize their own self-worth, and advance towards self-sufficiency and financial security through job training, academic reinforcement, improved life skills, job placement, and support services. More information about the organization can be found at http://www.obtjobs.org.

Though the company's eleemosynary efforts are laudable, the production of the play is uneven- the play is absurdist, but it has depths of real human feeling that are mainly glossed over, or obscured by strange directorial choices.

Sebastian (Josh Lefkowitz), hasn't seen his mother since he left home at 16. He comes to her funeral, where he meets with his self-absorbed twin sister Bernadette (Emilie Elizabeth Miller) and her depressed husband Kip (Bryant Mason). Sebastian is detached from the world since the death of his lover Simon 11 years previously, Kip has suddenly realized that death comes to us all and accordingly decides to give up dentistry to become a painter, and Bernadette aspires to become an alcoholic as a hobby, but discovers that she is pregnant. Sebastian, who carries on a pen-pal relationship with a convicted murderer named Dylan (José Joaquín Pérez), has decided to terminate with his overly needy therapist Hillary (Jennifer Dorr White), who takes a vow of poverty and puts out her eyes.

Director Dominic D'Andrea oddly positions two microphones downstage right and left, for the actors to speak to the audience- and then sometimes while speaking to each other, occasionally turning dialogue into strange secret monologues. Other than that odd quirk, D'Andrea keeps the play moving along with the help of Eliza Brown's clever set, which consists of (in addition to some furnishings) several cupboards against the back wall that can be opened to reveal scene-appropriate set dressing, as well as some rolling cubes that serve much the same purpose. Costumes by Emily DeAngelis, are good with some odd choices, such as Kip still being dressed from the funeral with tie and shoes on after he's gone to bed, and, his painter's outfit getting progressively more complete in accessories with each scene. Daniel Kluger's sound design is perfectly timed and adds to moments without distracting. Qui Nguyen keeps up his standard of great fight choreography.

The actors are mainly very good, especially White, who also plays Miranda, the mother of the two siblings. The cherubic Mason is believable as a man who's ready to throw his previous life away and devote it to art. Perez is a magnetic presence as the killer Dylan, as well as a more amusing and sexy turn as a hustler that Sebastian hires. Lefkowitz lends Sebastian the appropriate detachment, though his laconic tone can become tiresome (though that may be the effect intended). Miller (also one of the co-founders of the theatre company) doesn't seem to have a handle on the dialogue for Bernadette's more scattered dialogue, but is otherwise fine.

Raised in Captivity
By Nicky Silver
The Red Fern Theatre Company

The Shell Theater
300 West 43rd St., 4th Floor

Through February 15th, 2009
Thursday-Saturday at 8, Sundays at 3.

Tickets $18, To order, please visit https://www.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/72892 or call 212-352-3101.

http://www.redferntheatre.org

Photos Courtesy of Nathan Johnson

1. Josh Lefkowitz, Bryant Mason and Emilie Elizabeth Miller
2. Jennifer Dorr White

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