| Issue #1 - March 30, 2007 |
review: jack goes boating...by gordin & christiano
The Labyrinth Theater Company is stirring up a little
bohemian magic at the Public Theater where a delightful production of
Bob Glaudini’s Jack Goes Boating, directed by Peter DuBois, is
making its world premiere. The top-notch cast is headed by Philip Seymour
Hoffman in his first New York stage appearance since winning the Oscar
“gold” for Capote. Not much happens in terms of excitement,
but what does transpire is lively, heartwarming and poignant. Here is
a slice of New York City life told from the struggling journeyman’s
point of view.
The play, an appealing modern day comedy, focuses on four friends and
the interweaving fabric of their relationships as a married couple that
has been together for five years and encourages two of their friends
to team up. Peppered with cooking classes, swimming lessons and a potpourri
of illegal drugs, the intimate story about first date panic, marital
stress and infidelity is ultimately about the strength of the human
spirit when squared by the power of friendship.
The shy hero Jack (Hoffman) is a self-conscious limousine driver with
an ample frame, an average “Joe” that bears a close resemblance
to Paddy Chayevsky’s butcher, Marty. He carries around a tiny
cassette tape player with a recorded reggae song that he plays every
now and then for a jolt of positive energy. After meeting Connie (Beth
Cole), a frightened young woman, through his married friends Lucy (Daphne
Rubin-Vega) and Clyde (John Oritz), Jack promises to cook Connie dinner
and take her boating in the spring, even though he can’t swim
and doesn’t know how to cook. Supported by Clyde and Lucy, Jack
learns to cook, perfecting the recipe he will dish up on the eventful
night by practicing on them. He also thrusts himself into swimming lessons
with Clyde that are amongst the evening’s most charming scenes.
Meanwhile, we learn that several years earlier Lucy had been unfaithful
to Clyde with a pastry chef and Clyde has still not come to terms with
her infidelity. He is in denial, believing he has accepted it, all the
while allowing what Lucy did to secretly eat away at him. So while one
couple is in the initial stages of intoxication, the other couple is
struggling to keep their marriage afloat. The juxtaposition gives a
realistic look at the nature of relationships and the difficulties inherent
in intimacy.
Glaudini’s characters are nicely drawn and the fine acting that
has become a staple associated with the Labyrinth elevates the evening
beautifully. Under Peter DuBois’ expertly paced direction, the
actors excel with understated quirkiness and heart, allowing you to
really care about these people, despite their imperfections or possibly
because of them. At the preview we attended, I felt there was a bit
of a measured quality to the performances, but this did not deter from
the evening’s charm in any way.
The design elements are superb as well. David Korin’s blue-collar
living room is dead-on perfect and you know these people just by looking
at his room. The play has several short scenes interspersed with the
longer ones and Korin has devised clever ways to accommodate the swift
changes with the use of blue-tinted sheer curtains that echo the water
from the swimming scenes, giving the metaphor on swimming and life added
resonance. Japhy Weideman’s lighting further enhances that message,
as many scenes are bathed in luminous blue light.
Mr. Hoffman and Mr. Oritz are co-artistic directors of the Labyrinth,
now celebrating its 15th year. The two men shared the stage together
in their first Labyrinth production, which they managed to produce for
a grand total of $400. Since then, the Labyrinth has established itself
as one of Downtown’s most prominent theater companies. Most of
their productions have been intensely dramatic, like Our Lady of 121st
Street, a few seasons back, but Jack Goes Boating is decidedly on a
different track. Here is a modest social comedy, a slender tale, indeed,
but told with warmth and charm. The evening is a touching tribute to
lower class New Yorkers, as well as a winsome tale on acceptance.
Jack Goes Boating opened on March 18, 2007 at Martinson Hall at the
Public Theater, 425 Lafayette Street, for a limited run through April
29. Tickets are available by calling 212-967-7555, online at www.labyrinth.org
or by visiting the box office.
Gordin & Christiano are theater critics. Barry Gordin is an internationally
renowned photographer. They can be reached at bg6@verizon.net.
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