BWW Reviews: Capital Fringe's UP FOR DEBATE Wins Over the Audience

Imagine an America where the Democratic and Republican Parties ceased to exist and Mad Magazine and Monty Python administered our political system. The result would be the satirical Up For Debate which is lampooning a time-honored electoral pastime and endearing itself to voters and theatergoers at Capital Fringe.

Playwright and Director Luke Mullan has gathered us in the Paul Walker Memorial Auditorium at the debate for Idaho's second congressional district. The mere fact that the auditorium is named for the Fast and Furious star should clue you into the style of humor that can be expected at Up For Debate.

Onstage is Republican John Wallace (Joseph Cooney), Libertarian Kevin Sampson (John Leach) and Ivan Chekovitch (Jack Cashmere) of the Socialist Democrat-Republican-People's Party for the Cure. Mullan has written the candidates more as caricatures than actual characters. Wallace is the poll-tested, Bible-thumping American conservative; Sampson the clueless, basement gamer living with his mom libertarian; and Chekovitch as the Yakov Smirnoff-inspired Soviet refugee socialist.

Cooney, Leach and Cashmere are terrific together and playfully handle the wit and wordplay in Mullan's script. Philip Kiley serves as the evening's moderator and straight-man. It encapsulates everything that is cringe worthy about campaigns, such as how desperately Cooney's Wallace tries to connect with younger voters, and the formulaic, focus group-tested tone of the candidate's answers. That being said, the debate has an unpredicatble nature which leaves us eager to hear, and laugh, as the candidate's react to questions.

Throughout the debate, we learn more about Chekovitch through flashbacks that reveal Up For Debate's one flaw - it's split focus. Mullan can't seem to decide whether he wants Up For Debate to be a political satire or a farce about a candidate's journey from the Soviet Union to Idaho's second congressional district. There's a convincing case to be made for both. However, Mullan's split-stage direction with the three podiums on one side and the flashbacks on the other doesn't help matters either.

Like every debate, there are a few unexpected turns and it would be unfortunate for me to reveal them. Let's just say that true to political form, babies are kissed and a candidate's past comes back to haunt him.

If all that isn't enough, the show features some catchy musical numbers during the flashbacks and the outstanding anthem "Ida-a-go-to-Idaho" to spoof the folksy nature of political events. Mullan uses it much like a campaign theme song and it is also a masterstroke at setting the evening's tone. Providing the musical accompaniment is Pianist Brian Claeys.

Those who abhor debates should know that Up For Debate is nothing like the civic forums which dominate C-SPAN and local cable access television. With the first presidential debate of the 2016 election season happening next month, it is a timely entry at Capital Fringe.

Runtime: 40 minutes with no intermission

Photo Credit: Capital Fringe

Up For Debate at Capital Fringe runs thru July 23rd at the Atlas Performing Arts Center, Lab II -1333 H Street, NE Washington, DC 20002. For performance dates, times and tickets please click here.

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