Prosperous Fools

 Prosperous Fools
Theatre for a New Audience
Polonsky Shakespeare Center
June 3, 2025

Photo courtesy of Theatre for a New Audience

In the new play, Prosperous Fools, Taylor Mac leaves no stone unturned in the examination of today’s political landscape and its effect on the arts.  The commentary is direct, but more importantly, the audience is left with questions, placing a spotlight on every participant in our present day society, and highlighting everyone’s role in its obliteration. 

The action of the play surrounds a gala performance of a new ballet, created by the Artist (played by Taylor Mac).  The Philantrhopoid (played by Jennifer Regan) is the Artistic Director of the dance company, willing to sell her soul and every element of the production to please the gala’s two wealthy honorees (played by Jason O’Connell and Sierra Boggess).  One is a despised capitalist oligarch, and the other a beloved sponsor of needy children.  Everything spins out of control as basic facts, creative expression, and philanthropic endeavors are manipulatively spun into fake news and absurd outcomes.  The Artist realizes they sold out and that the Intern (played by Kaliswa Brewster) is more deserving of praise than any of the artists or honorees. 

The full cast of Prosperous Fools
Photo courtesy of Theatre for a New Audience

Taylor Mac’s writing is exceptionally focused.  Even when expounding on minute details, the main point is always vividly clear.  During one scene, seven genres of humor are illustrated, defining how a message can be successfully communicated and for which demographic they are most suitable.  When the Artist addresses the audience at the conclusion of the show, they wear the hat of the fool.  This is most appropriate, based on how the message is to be heard.  The audience now learns forward, listening carefully to how to process the play.  This intellectualizes the full experience.  Answers to these questions are not provided, nor is the audience led to one specific message.  These questions are for the audience to ponder and discuss. The perspective of what we witness and experience in our daily life shifts, as we consider these questions through the lens of the absurd action of the play.  The big picture changes.  The responsibility of our individual choices becomes clear. 

Director Darko Tresnjak finds the right balance for this piece so the audience can hook into the humor and understand the metaphor.  The cast broadly plays the absurdity, but never goes too far over the top.  The choreography by Austin McCormick is stunning and clever. 

Prosperous Fools is playing at Theatre for a New Audience through June 29.  It is a riveting experience. 

Domenick Danza

Orlando

Orlando
Pershing Square Signature Center
Signature Theatre
April 27, 2024 

Photo courtesy of Signature Theatre

The Signature Theatre production of Sarah Ruhl’s Orlando is a fantastic romp through the centuries.  Adapted from the Virginia Woolf novel of the same title in 2000, Ms. Ruhl chose to tell this story through narration, most of which comes directly from the original novel.  She utilizes a chorus of six actors, playing gender fluid characters, to keep the action moving.  With Taylor Mac in the lead role, the humor becomes equally matched with truthful moments of discovery and conflict.

Orlando (played by Taylor Mac) wants to be a poet.  The Queen (played by Nathan Lee Graham) adopts him, and makes him her own.  When Orlando falls in love with a Russian Princess (played by Rad Pereira), they run off together, or rather skate down the frozen River Thames.  The Princess abandons Orlando, who then meets the Archduchess (played by Lisa Kron), and experiences lust.  He quickly tires of her, and proclaims he want to return home.  After retiring to his bed, he emerges a woman. 

The cast of Orlando
Photo courtesy of Signature Theatre

On the journey home, Orlando discovers both the freedom and limitations of being a woman.  She meets the Archduchess again, only to find that she is a man.  He pursues Orlando, but does not succeed at wooing her.  Centuries pass, and Orlando yearns to be wed.  She meets Marmaduke (played by TL Thompson).   After they fall in love, they discover they are both male and female simultaneously.  Centuries pass again, taking Orlando into the twentieth century.  The present moment is filled with confusion that leads to understanding and acceptance. 

TL Thompson & Taylor Mac
Photo courtesy of Signature Theatre

Will Davis stylistically directs this piece with a sharp eye on consistency, and a precise sense of timing, rhythm, and pace.  Scenic design by Arnulfo Maldonado creates a sparce, imaginative atmosphere that is heightened by Oana Botez’s costumes.  The stage is empty most of the time, with detailed set pieces rolled on as needed, and magnificent drops flown in.  The costumes are also pieced together in an impressionistic manner, creating the illusion of the numerous time periods, while allowing for fast changes.

Orlando is playing at the Pershing Square Signature Center through May 12. 

Domenick Danza

Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus

Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus

Booth Theatre

April 13, 2019

Photo courtesy of
Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus

Taylor Mac weaves together layers of laughter and grief mixed with hope and despair in Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus.  His writing is boldly satirical.  He moves in and out of metaphoric verse, giving the audience opportunities to ponder what lies beyond their own understanding in order to see the larger possibilities for transformation and healing.

It is the fall of the Holy Roman Empire and a street clown, Gary (played by Nathan Lane), has been promoted to maid.  His job is to clean up the dead bodies fallen from the carnage, and prepare the palace for the inauguration of the new Emperor.  The job, though overwhelming, seems simple enough, until he meets his supervisor, Janice (played by Kristine Nielsen).  She is determined to get the job done right and refuses to fall behind schedule due to Gary's trifling.  In his efforts to transform the tragedy that is all around him into comedy, Gary envisions a new genre, a “foolery,” which is comedy with a deep and serious theme.  Just as Janice is beginning to buy into Gary’s “foolery,” Carol (played by Julie White) emerges from beneath the pile of carcasses.  She was midwife to Tamora, and is obsessed with the fact that she failed to save Tamora’s baby before her throat was cut by Aaron.  Gary begins to think his idea of a “foolery” to change the future is not going to work.  When Carol locates and rescues the baby, Gary regains his confidence and begins to rethink his plan.   

Nathan Lane as Gary
Photo courtesy of Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus

The true brilliance of the production is that immediately following bombastic humor, Nathan Lane and Kristine Nielsen shift the tone to sincere introspection.  Director George C. Wolfe shows a strong grasp of Mr. Mac’s writing in these transitions.  These moments are where absurdity meets truth, and we realize that our laughter is a defense against the extreme, not in acceptance of it.  

Mr. Mac brings hope for the future in the form of the baby thought to be lost.  His most prolific moments are when he pulls in the events from Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus.  I strongly recommend googling the synopsis before attending the play.  The themes will reverberate more soundly if you know these details.

Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus is playing at the Booth Theatre.  Go see it!

Domenick Danza

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