This G*d Damn House

 This G*d Damn House
Chain Theatre
March 24, 2023 

Photo courtesy of Chain Theatre

Chain Theatre is producing the world premiere of Matthew McLachlan’s This G*d Damn House.  The play is a complex story of a family coming to terms with their truths.  The stakes are high and the clock is ticking as the characters do all they can to hold it together.  Director Ella Jane New works with an excellent cast to uncover the secrets that have kept this family together for years, and ultimately end up destroying them. 

Angie (played by Sachi Parker) has been evicted from her Florida home.  She has less than twenty-four hours to get out.  She called her son Jacob (played by Kirk Gostkowski) to do the heavy lifting.  He called his brother, Danny (played by Gabriel Rysdahl), a playwright living in New York City, to fly down to help him.  The brothers do what they can to avoid the memories they unearth as they work through the night sorting the trash and belongings Angie horded over the years.  When Angie’s teaching assistant, Hannah (played by Rica de Ocampo), arrives to lend a hand, it is revealed that Angie lost her job six months ago.  This begins a slow unraveling of the lies Angie has told about her eviction.  It is not until Jacob’s wife, Ally (played by Christina Perry), who is eight months pregnant, shows up at 3:30 AM that the full truth is uncovered and the unavoidable transpires. 

Sachi Parker, Kirk Gostkowski, & Gabriel Rysdahl
Photo courtesy of Chain Theatre

Sachi Parker beautifully portrays the complexities of Angie’s character.  In Act I she is witty and
charming.  Her slow, aging physicality is juxtaposed by her fast-paced, energetic, non-stop talking.  Her sly smile and enigmatic gaze seduce her sons into helping her in her time of need.  In Act II, after her pregnant daughter-in-law confronts her, she shows her true colors.  She is cold, cunning, and manipulative.  This scene between Ms. Parker and Christina Perry is riveting.  It is the key turning point of the play, and these two women skillfully deliver the potent punch that shifts the action for all the characters.    

The set design, by David Henderson, and set dressing, by David Kaplan, create an atmosphere that truly reflects Angie’s character.  At the top of the show, the set is filled with boxes and shopping bags.  Piles of dirty clothes are strewn everywhere.  The old, worn furniture is completely hidden.  As the characters pack up and empty the house, dirt and stains are revealed on the walls and carpet.  The truth of the house is uncovered.  It is filthy and repellent.  The house is Angie.  When Jacob loses all patience with his mother, he shows her the dirt on his hands and says, “This is you.”  Angie is the g*d damn house.

This G*d Damn House is playing at Chain Theatre (312 W 36th St. 4th floor, New York, NY 10018) through April 8. 

Domenick Danza

Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theater Festival

Provincetown Tennessee Williams 12^th Annual Theater Festival – Day 2

The Gnadiges Fraulein

Texas Tech University

Ten Blocks on the Camino Real

National Theatre of Ghana

Pericles

Die-Cast

September 23, 2017

Photo courtesy of Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theater Festival

I was able to attend the Provincetown Tennessee Williams 12th Annual Theater Festival for only two of the four days.  During that time I was able to see five shows and a lecture on Tennessee Williams.  The experience was revitalizing and inspiring.  On my second day I encountered a broader variety of theatre companies from different points on the map.

The Gnadiges Fraulein
Photo courtesy of Texas Tech University

The Texas Tech University production of The Gnadiges Fraulein was absurd, fast paced, bawdy, and highly disturbing.  Director Jef Hall-Flavin found the pace, style, and timing to keep the audience amused, allowing Tennessee Williams’ darker themes of unrequited love and self-deprivation to creep in and change the tone for a potent ending.  Rachel Hirshorn and Anthea Thompson had great chemistry as Molly and Polly.  Francine Segal was haunting as Fraulein.  The production design was comical and over the top, while the color scheme of black, white, and shades of gray added a layer of seriousness that allowed for a smooth transitioned into the darker ending.

Ten Blocks on the Camino Real
Photo courtesy of The National Theatre of Ghana

Hurricane Jose lightened up so the National Theatre of Ghana’s production of Ten Blocks on the Camino Real was able to be played outdoors as scheduled.  Director David Kaplan’s rendition of this challenging Tennessee Williams play was grounded in the cultural colors and rhythms of Ghana, transforming the emotional challenges of the main character, Kilroy (played by Isaac Flagbor) into a mystical and spiritual journey.  The cast of eleven worked as a solid ensemble filling the open, outdoor space with energy, transporting the audience into the world of the play.

Pericles
Photo courtesy of Die-Cast

Shakespeare’s Pericles was presented by Die-Cast, a new company out of Philadelphia.  The show was staged on a life size model of a clipper ship on the second floor of the Provincetown Library.  Director Brena Geffers used striking ensemble movement and resilient breath work to weave the tale of this lesser known Shakespeare work.  The cast played multiple roles lead by Keith Conallen as Pericles, Chris Anthony as Gower, and Hannah Van Sciver as Marina.

This was my first time attending the Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theater Festival, and I am already looking forward to next year.  The variety of theatre professionals and artists presenting high quality work clearly defines the magnitude of vision and expertise of this organization.  If you have not attended in the past, I recommend checking out their website (http://twptown.org/) for upcoming news. 

Domenick Danza