A Class Act

A Class Act

New World Stages

July 9, 2016

Photo courtesy of A Class Act

A Class Act, a new play by Norman Shabel, reveals the behind the scenes strategies, secrets, and scheming that take place when a large American chemical company is facing a class action suit worth tens of billions of dollars.  The plot includes blackmail, dirty secrets, fast paced legal jargon, decisions made with integrity, and heated and foulmouthed conference table negotiations.  It is the plot twist at the end that makes the story unique and worth watching.  Director Christopher Scott savors the moment of this unexpected punch and allows the audience to piece together what actually motivated the characters to take action.

After the General Corporation loses a class action suit in California, they face a national class action suit for the same wrong doings.  Toxic waste has poisoned the water and caused cancer and death to millions of innocent victims.  Yes, the premise is the same as what won Julia Roberts her Academy Award in Erin Brockovich, but in this play the line between the good guys and the bad guys is constantly blurred.  There are indications of themes that drove Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People that keep the tensions building to the end. 

Photo courtesy of A Class Act

David Marantz (as Edward Duchamp) delivers an impassioned monologue about the risks that large corporations take in developing products that improve the quality of lives of people around the world.  This moment levels the playing field by making the high profit bad guy into a valuable player in the progress of civilization  Mr. Marantz’s zeal lands this monologue with a genuine belief that brings the issue into an unrealized light.  Lou Liberatore (as Ben Donaldson) and Matthew DeCapua (as Frank Warsaw) have very strong scenes where the integrity of their characters is on the line, and they rise above the threat.  They both create honest moments with grit and determination that raise the stakes for the plot.  The fiery scenes between Andrew Ramcharan Guilarte (as Ignatio Perez) and Jenny Strassburg (as Dorothy Pilsner) keep the action moving.  Even though they are lawyers on the same side, their opposing tactical perspectives create conflict and quicken the pace of the play.  Their comradery strengthens through their differences and carries the action through to the conclusion.

The cast of A Class Act
Photo courtesy of A Class Act

The script is not structurally sound, yet it does a great job of dramatizing legal details in direct and understandable language.  Its authenticity is unquestionable, since playwright Norman Shabel is himself a lawyer.  If you like stories about high stakes legal proceedings, this is the play for you.  A Class Act will be playing at New World Stages through September 4.

Domenick Danza