BWW Reviews: AMY HERZOG FESTIVAL at Center Stage Where Two Plays are Staged Simultaneously FOR THE FIRST TIME

One has to give Center Stage Artistic Director Kwame Kwei-Armah credit for once again making history at Center Stage. Last season, Kwei-Armah got national recognition for presenting "The Raisin Cycle" which included Bruce Norris's CLYBORUNE PARK and Kwei-Armah's BENEATHA'S PLACE. Now , this year, Center Stage is getting praise doing something similar, presenting "The Herzog Festival" presenting two of playwright's Amy Herzog's plays for the first time, back to back, AFTER THE REVOLUTION and 4000 MILES. And it was just announced, Center Stage in addition to these full-scale productions, will be giving two FREE readings performed by the Herzog Festival cast members of her plays THE GREAT GOD PAN (April 17, 2015 and BELLEVILLE (April 17, 2015) both beginning at 7 p.m. So, theatergoers could see four of her plays all in one week!

Herzog admits that AFTER THE REVOLUTION closely mirrors her own grandmother Leepee and her husband Joseph. In both plays you will see "Vera" played by the marvelous Lois Markle in the Leepee role. Her grandfather Julius Joseph is referred to as Grandpa Joe, who as a staunch liberal, refused to name names during the McCarthy era and was indeed called to testify in 1953.

The play centers on a scandal that is kept from Vera's granddaughter, Emma Joseph (a wonderful performance by Ashton Heyl), who is an up and coming attorney in New York naming a foundation in honor of her grandfather. Emma's legal defense fund was started to help the unjustly prosecuted and she was working to free Mumia Abu-Jamal, an activist journalist accused of killing a Philadelphia policeman.

It seems everyone in the family, including Emma's father Ben (played by the heroic Arye Gross), who is a staunch liberal and Marxist) his partner Mel (the always terrific Susan Rome), his brother Leo (Mark Zeisler who truly looks like his brother) keep from Emma the fact that Grandpa Joe during World War II was a spy for the Soviet Union. (This idea reminded me of the Jon Robin Baitz play OTHER DESERT CITIES which also deals with a family scandal.)

Well when this secret is revealed to Emma, she becomes enraged and has quite a confrontation with her father which is brilliantly conceived. They both bring lists to back their positions like students in debate class.

Not only is Emma troubled about the scandal, she questions her relationship with her partner, Miguel Roja (Alejandro Rodriguz) who also works for the foundation. Emma also must deal with her sister Jess (Kelly McCrann) who seems to always be in rehab.

A friend of the family, Morty (played the Peter Van Wagner) tries to instill some realism to Emma but can't seem to get his points across to her.

The play takes place in 1999 and Ben tells his daughter, "In this decade we saw the Soviet Union collapse and my dad die, Clinton is a big-business president, the poor are getting poorer, racial divides are deepening, we're dropping bombs in the Balkans, and people are complacent. We're about to see a new millennium, and it's hard to imagine things getting much worse." It's a classic line in a classic play.

One criticism I have deals with the set design by Daniel Zimmerman for AFTER THE REVOLUTION. It is too antiseptic, all in white and with only one wall with family photos. For the home of the Joseph family, I would have expected political posters on the wall (although there is a mention that Ben has put up a Fidel Castro poster that is unseen) and other family heirlooms.

There is only one character that is in both productions and that is Grandmother Vera. In 4000 MILES, 10 years has passed and Vera is now 91 living alone in THE Village in a lovely apartment by herself (lovely done by Zimmerman). In the short intermission less play, she is awoken at 3 a.m. by the appearance of 21-year-old grandson Leo (named after Uncle Leo in AFTER THE REVOLUTION) who has traveled from the West Coast by bicycle (hence the title). Leo, played by the likable Josh Tobin, has not been in touch with his family or friends for weeks. His girlfriend lives in New York but he chooses to crash with his grandmother.

The play rushes by as we learn that Leo feels responsible for the death of his friend Micah during his bicycle journey. We do meet his girlfriend Bec (the engaging Lauren LaRocca) and a girl he picks up at a bar, Amanda (the perky Jennifer Tsay).

TIME magazine picked 4000 MILES as one of the best plays in New York and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Here, Merkle gets to strut her stuff as Vera and does she ever! She is so fun to watch. It's a play about family and the scene in which Leo heartwarmingly tells Vera about the death of his friend, she adds "I don't have my hearing aid in". A clever ploy by the playwright to throw in some levity after a tragic tale.

Director Lila Neugebauer has assembled top notch casts for both shows.

Asta Bennie Hostetter does a great job with costumes and there is superb lighting by Eric Southern. Brandon Wolcott did the sound and original music which while weird in AFTER THE REVOLUTION , is very enjoyable in 4000 MILES.

Center Stage presents AFTERTHOUGHTS AND FOREWORDS on April 26 and May 14 (for AFTER THE REVOLUTION) and April 30, May 3, and May 10 (for 4000 MILES).

On May 9 families are invited for lunch with the cast of 4000 MILES and tickets are at a discounted price.

Next up at Center Stage is the world premiere of MARLEY, a world premiere musical with music and lyrics by Bob Marley, book by Kwame Kwei-Armah, and running May 6 to June 14.

For tickets, call 410-332-0033 or visit www.centerstage.org.

THIS AND THAT

On "Live from Lincoln Center" April 17, 2015 on WETA at 9:30 p.m. will feature the great Norm Lewis. Do not miss this amazing performer currently playing the lead in THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA.

On Saturday afternoon April 18 from 4-5 p.m., MPT rebroadcasts "Behind the Scenes of PIPPIN" which features scenes from the Broadway cast and touring company coming to the Hippodrome Theatre June 23 to 28.

More DVR alerts:

"The Today Show" on NBC presents Broadway Week next week. Here is the schedule:

Monday, April 21 ON THE TOWN

Tuesday, April 22 ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY

Wednesday, April 23 CHICAGO

Thursday, April 24 IT SHOULDA BEEN YOU

Friday, April 24 SOMETHING ROTTEN

cgshubow@broadwayworld.com

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