Review: An Eye-Opening STRAIGHT WHITE MEN by Young Jean Lee Premieres at Tamparep

“I spent my whole life trying to make things better, everything I did just made things worse...” -Matt

Young Jean Lee’s Straight White Men is a 2014 Dramatic Comedy that premiered off- Broadway at The Public Theatre in New York City on November 7, 2014. Directed by the playwright Lee, and featuring Austin Pendleton as “Ed”, Pete Simpson, James Stanely, and Gary Wilmes. Following its run off-Broadway, the play was then produced by Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago, opening in February 2017 and running until March 26, 2017. Young Jean Lee’s play made its transfer to Broadway with Previews beginning at the Hayes Theatre June 29,2018, with its official opening night on July 23. Directed by Anna D. Shapiro, and featuring a cast of Armie Hammer as Drew, Josh Charles as Jake, Paul Schneider as Matt, Kate Bornstein and Ty Defoe as “Stagehands-in-Charge,” and Stephen Payne as Ed. Both Tom Skerritt and Denis Arndt had ties to the production but left before opening and during previews.

According to Lee, Straight White Men was born from the findings of a workshop that was conducted with women, people of color, and LGBTQ people. In the workshop, Lee asked the participants what they thought of “straight white men,” and how their perception should reveal how “straight white men” behave.

Following the lengthy discussions, the group of attendees in the workshop came to a conclusive decision that the “straight white men,” they all perceive would be someone not aggressive, passive in issues of social justice, and overall didn’t interfere with the cause at hand. Following the findings of the workshop, Young Jean Lee took the parameters of which the group inferred and created a “straight white man” character, which in turn became the character of Matt in the finished version of the play.

Case in point when Lee returned with her character fully realized based on her findings, the focus group couldn’t relate to the character and ultimately hated him. They discovered that basing a character off their proverbial parameters turned the character of Matt into a loser, which made his character completely uninteresting and not likable. 

Lee then used these ideals to further unpack what the true meaning of this kind of “straight white man” label truly meant, and its ultimately unrealistic expectations of those privy to its namesake.

Straight White Men marks the first time a play written by an Asian-American woman was produced on Broadway. In her play Lee challenges the audience to think critically about what it mean to be a straight white man in America today. By structuring her play like a social experiment which we are invited to participate in, the audience is asked to consider how we can all work together to create a more just and equitable society. Not at all a play based on the condemantion of white male privilege. But rather, a compassionate exploration of how white men are both shaped by and complicit in systems of oppression.

Exploring themes of identity, power and privilege, and masculinity all cultivates the inner workings of Lee’s play. With identity, we see the three brothers all trying to figure out who they are and what they wish to achieve in their lifetime. Dealing with bouts of ideals on how to live up to expectations thrown at them by the confines of society, and the ideals and pressures brought on by their own family. The themes of power/privilege come about by the brothers being well educated and growing up accustomed to a comfortable background. They have all experienced moments in their lives that would otherwise be unaccessible to those not white or male, but it’s their awareness of that inherent privilege that turns this ideal on its head and how each brother chooses to deal within its confines. In the case of masculinity, we are often subjected to seeing the brothers at odds with one another, each seemingly living by this ideal of the “good man,” but each struggling with ways to balance the preconceived notions on masculinity and how their own desires come into play.

The ultimate takeaway Young Jean Lee, and for our purposes, the company of TampaRep wishes from their audiences is that Identity is subjective and completely individual. Every one of us is influenced by groups or chosen families of which we belong, but no one person is ultimately the same. Racial, ethnic, and gender identities are not monoliths. The question remains, how do we examine the more finite areas of human condition, and do so in a more equitable way focusing on ideals of individualized compassion? What happens when we look in the mirror? How do we wish our own reflection, our inherent privilege is viewed not only by society, but ourselves as well?

Directed by Emilia Sargent, Straight White Men, attempts to unpack our inherent privilege and allow us as an audience to look deep inside ourselves and question how we are viewed by others, and how we ultimately accept that viewpoint.

From top to bottom, not a weak-link, this cast is explosive out of the gate and by far one of the strongest, concepts, and fully realized company of performers,  I have had the ultimate privilege of experiencing to date.

As our Person(s) in Charge, Berry Ayers, Gabby Cabrera, and Randi Norman each bring amazing energy to the room from start to finish. Berry Ayers Drag Persona Beneva Fruitville burst from the stage with Charisma. Her Performance number late in the show is one to watch! Gabby Cabrera interacts with the audience and is a joy to watch. Randi is always wonderful in this arena, and having last seen her compelling work in The Crucible, it was nice to see a joyous and fun side of her already exceptional resume. In the first few pages of the script especially in the character description, the Person(s) in Charge is described as follows:

“Because the opening speech should be the voices of the People in Charge and express their points of view, the performers should be clear on why they want to participate in the production and prepared to collaborate on their own text.”

Each of the Person(s) in Charge are in the moment from start to finish, as if you’d expect them to narrate the events on stage. Each of them honing in the theme that Identity is Subjective and Completely Individual.

Don Walker portrays the endearing and loving father Ed. Having last experienced Don’s work in The Elephant Man, it was nice to see him back onstage in the TampaRep arena. Ed comes across very understanding, and willing to help his sons no matter the cost. He just wants the best for his boys. Don’s presence in this role is felt to the back of the room. You get the sense of his relationship with his sons, even following the passing of his wife. His plight of good faith is something everyone wants in a father, and Don is exceptional here.

Christopher Marshall’s portrayal of Matt is wonderful to experience. You get the feeling that he is always searching for that one thing to make him become the best image of himself. The camaraderie he shares with his brothers is as close as any relationship with siblings. He wears his emotions close to the cuff, it leaves you wondering what is going through his mind during every second. Christopher is exceptionally skilled in every moment, taking us on a journey of emotional highs and lows that make you hang on his every word. Having last seen Christopher onstage in The Elephant Man, it was great to see him onstage once again. Matt is our Anchor, and Christopher is steadfast and solid from start to finish.

As Jake, Jim Sorensen is miraculous as the overall voice of reason to the brothers. There is a scene in which he is portraying what his brother Matt should say in an interview, that is so decisive, and completely grounded, you get the business sense within his character’s arc. As the banker, you can tell he’s very factual in his reasoning. This idea of actualization, and fact checking guides his thru line from start to finish in every aspect. Jim is exceptional in his craft, and a welcome return following his previous portrayal of Dad in John Patrick Shanley’s The Dreamer Examines his Pillow. It was nice to see his breadth of comedic work on display here.

Drew Norton, as portrayed by James Putnam is fully realized here. His moment to moment is so calculated down to the finest detail. You get the feeling that at any second he could blow a gasket, he’s electrifying in both stage presence and energy. Theres a moment with a glass of water that has to be witnessed for all its glory. He is always at a 10, and in this instance it works, never going too far, but just bubbling under the surface.James’ portrayal of Drew is the perfect addition to this company of performers.

Technically delivered with sheer brilliance, Straight White Men is flawless in all angles. From the fully realized scenic design by Jim Sorensen, to the lighting design by Keith Eisenstadt blending perfectly into the world of the show, and the sound design by Georgia Mallory Guy, helping the world of these characters come to life, there is not a weak link in design or execution. I really liked the use of Monopoly symbols throughout the space. Costume Designer Meli Mossey and Costume Assistant Sofia Pickford allowed each of the character’s personalities to shine through and fully represent the image of who is being portrayed. Stage Management team of Rachel Harrison and Wren Beers kept the show moving along at a swift pace, and Wren’s props worked well within the confines of the show.

Director Emilia Sargent has assembled a top-notch team both in performers and designers/artists. Each coming together to expertly tell this story, and allow us an audience to be transported not only to the world of these characters, but into our own subconscious as well. Leaving us to examine how we perceive others, and question how society perceives us as well. The show in this space works incredibly well, and the idea that the audience can see each other gives us a mirrored image which works well for the message of the show.

Tampa Rep continues to deliver on their mission of creating transformative, relevant, and compelling professional theatre that connects us through meaningful and inspiring shared experiences. In their 13th season, Tampa Rep is exploring themes of Identity.

Get tickets today for Young Jean Lee’s Straight White Men, onstage at USF Theatre Center through February 18th. I can promise you, you have never seen a show quite like this. One that will make you take a long hard look in the mirror, and hopefully find some answers, and maybe some insights that have been there all along.

Young Jean Lee says it best by saying,

“You can have empathy for people without just leveling out all human experience as we all suffer equally...”

Wise words indeed....

Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.tamparep.org.

PHOTO CREDIT: ASHLEY EMRICK

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