Review: THE REMAINS at Studio Theatre

In The Remains, husband and husband Kevin (Maulik Pancholy) and Theo (Glenn Fitzgerald) throw a dinner party for their family on their 10th wedding anniversary. One of the first gay couples to be married in the US, they are preparing to make a mysterious announcement. Initially, the audience is kept in the dark but it's fairly obvious the "divorce-bomb" is about to drop. Everyone should know by now that a play about marriage is a play about divorce.

In the opening scene, Theo chops vegetables and Kevin types away on his laptop in their modern condo. But at the core of this scene of domestic bliss is a carefully-drawn tense truce.

Pancholy and Fitzgerald's commitment to realistic and emotionally fraught portrayals of a couple in the midst of a crisis brings The Remains to life. This is an emotionally driven portrayal of a relationship in crisis.

First to the dinner party are Theo's mom Trish (Naomi Jacobson), a theatre critic, and his dad Len (Greg Mullavey), a former Harvard philosophy professor. Indicative of her profession, Trish is dramatic in all that she does. Jacobson honors Playwright Ken Urban's intentions for her by spreading it on pretty thick. Similarly, Len, the philosopher, is brought to life by Mullavey's professorial tone and thoughtful stage presence. It may feel a little predictable, but Jacobson and Mullavey pull it off.

Once Kevin's twice-divorced sister Andrea (the fast-talking Danielle Skraastad) makes her grand entrance, Theo and Kevin announce their divorce, unleashing a floodgate of probing questions and revelations. The audience is treated to several emotional outbursts as Kevin and Theo re-hash old grudges and attempt to address the root cause of their divorce.

For their family, and against all odds, Theo and Kevin's marriage has always been the pinnacle of success. In The Remains, Urban acknowledges the unique marriage "speedbumps" faced by Theo and Kevin as gay men.

Set in Boston in 2014, Kevin and Theo's marriage is recognized at the state level but is still a year away from being recognized at the federal level. As Dramaturg Adrien-Alice Hansel notes, the paperwork alone mind-boggling and significantly impacts every aspect of their lives and relationship.

On top of that, Kevin's inability to find work as a gay man of color in the traditionally white world of Boston academics necessitates their transition to a long-distance relationship. It's a tragedy and almost 5 years later, it feels all too familiar.

A bout of stiff interactions onstage is the only thing that preventsThe Remains from truly transporting the audience to Kevin and Theo's dinner party. It's possible this will be rectified with more time onstage.

At an hour and 45 minutes, The Remains was on the verge of feeling too long. The final scene, despite being the most exciting visual aspect of the production, extends frustratingly beyond what feels like the natural conclusion of the show.

Billed as a dark comedy, there is very little to laugh about in The Remains. The only moments of comic relief, always accompanied by the cleverest nuggets of wisdom, are courtesy of Skraastad's Andrea, whose presence onstage is all too brief.

Studio Theatre's always-exceptional production team includes Director and Studio Theatre Artistic Director David Muse, Set Designer Wilson Chin, Costume Designer Asta Bennie Hostetter, Lighting Designer Jesse Belsky, and Sound Designer Matthew Nielson.

Running Time: 1 hour and 45 minutes, no intermission

The Remains plays through June 17 at Studio Theatre located at 1501 14thStreet, NW, Washington, DC 20005. For tickets call (202) 232-7267 or click here.

Photo credit: Naomi Jacobson, Maulik Pancholy, Glenn Fitzgerald, and Greg Mullavey in The Remains. Photo by Wilson Chin.

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