Hir

Hir

Playwrights Horizons

December 12, 2015

Photo courtesy of Playwrights Horizons

I read Taylor Mac’s play Hir last winter in American Theatre Magazine.  Hir refers to the pronoun used in place of him or her for a transgender person.  I remember it being bold and powerful, yet I knew that my first read only comprehended the surface level of meaning.  When I read that Kristin Nielsen was going to play the role of the mother, Paige, in the PlaywrightsHorizon production, I knew it was going to be great and that I had to see it.  I even paid full price for my ticket (usually I get tickets discounted on line from TDF).  The performance was worth three times what I paid for it.  Director Niegel Smith delves deeply into every detail of Mr. Mac’s amazing script and inspires the phenomenal cast of four to deliver truthful and visceral performances.

Kristine Nielsen and Tom Phelan
Photo courtesy of Playwrights Horizons

Isaac (boldly played by Cameron Scoggins) returns home from three years in the Marines to find his family in crisis.  His father, Arnold (skillfully played by Daniel Oreskes), suffered a stroke, his sister, Max (brashly played by Tom Phelan) is in gender transition, and his mother, Paige (brilliantly played by Kristine Nielsen) has abandoned all of life’s structures and disciplines, disregarded the household chores, and allowed her home to fall into total chaos.  It is revealed that Isaac was dishonorably discharged due to drug abuse, and his father physically abused the family for years.  Isaac begins to organize and clean the house, against his mother’s wishes.  It is this action that sets off a frenzy of emotion and truth telling from which there is no turning back.

  

Cameron Scoggins, Kristine Nielsen, and Daniel Oreskes
Photo courtesy of Playwrights Horizons

Gender roles are in constant flux, and frustration over the disillusionment that comes along with this flares up without warning.  It is a constant roller coaster of emotion, and the actors make it authentic and plausible.  Between Isaac’s service in Mortuary Affairs, where he cleaned up body parts of dead soldier after battle, Arnold’s holding and talking about his penis due to his diminished capacity, Max’s transition, and Paige’s enthusiasm for discussing Max’s transition and her “paradigm shift” in viewing the world, there is plenty of talk about body parts.  Mr. Mac brilliantly weaves these images into his dialogue making bold statements about honoring the dead and parts of the past into practically every scene. 

Kristine Nielsen
Photo courtesy of
 Playwrights Horizons

The set is a realistic “starter home” designed by David Zinn.  It is in total disarray at the opening of the first act.  Even the house curtain has a pattern that evokes chaos.  The set has a solid and low ceiling, yet lighting designer Mike Inwood brilliantly enhances every playing area.  His combination of actual ceiling fixtures and stage lighting is remarkable and effective.

This play is significant and truly incredible.  Mr. Mac’s voice is strong, his characters are real, and his writing style is unique.  The timing of all four actors is impeccable, their chemistry is fierce, and their physicality is sharp.  If you don’t get to see this production before it closes at Playwrights Horizons on January 3, pick up a copy of the script, read it, and have a “paradigm shift” of your own.  As Paige says, “Sometimes you spend your entire life preparing for something to be one way and right from the starts it’s another.”

Domenick Danza