SITE GUIDE
SEARCH
REVIEWS
REVIEW ARCHIVES
ADVERTISING AT CURTAINUP
FEATURES
NEWS
Etcetera and
Short Term Listings
LISTINGS
Broadway
Off-Broadway
NYC Restaurants
BOOKS and CDs
OTHER PLACES
Berkshires
London
California
New Jersey
Philadelphia
Elsewhere
QUOTES
TKTS
PLAYWRIGHTS' ALBUMS
LETTERS TO EDITOR
FILM
LINKS
MISCELLANEOUS
Free Updates
Masthead
A CurtainUp Review
Dust
|
Things can get lost—people get older, forget about what's inside of them. You've messed up, Zeke, but you're a good man who's messed up. When I see a good man, I do what I can to help. That's why I requested your case.— Bobby
|
Richard Masur & Hunter Foster
(Photo: Carol Rosegg) |
At first blush it may seem that Goda has created a tantalizing drama. The lights come up on a fitness center in a posh hotel in New York City. A corporate executive named Martin Stone (Richard Masur) is walking on a treadmill and ex-con handyman Zeke Catchman (Hunter Foster) reads a newspaper at a nearby table. Things get prickly when the 60-ish Martin asks the 30-year-old Zeke to clean out an air vent that's clogged up with dust. Zeke, who feels that the task will compromise his integrity refuses to jump at Martin's request. A power struggle instantly ignites. Zeke gets fired from his service job by the incensed Martin, and the rest of the story becomes a ferocious tug-of-war between these two alpha males. Sure, there are other minor characters that get pulled into the fray, but the real imbroglio is between the mogul Martin and the street-smart Zeke.
Aside from the emotionally-gripping opener, the 7-character play (with 2 roles doubled) is rather clunky, and confusingly proceeds in a jig-saw puzzle fashion. The protean settings morph from the fitness center, to Zeke's small studio apartment, to Martin's apartment, and then back again to Zeke's studio.
Watching this play one is inundated with hectic scene changes which unfortunately works against the dramatic texture of the story. Granted, there's some meaty action punctuating the plot especially when a serious-looking gun appears in two highly-charged scenes which are sure to raise gooseflesh on your neck. But two hand guns don't make a thriller.
The evening is redeemed by the acting of the entire cast. Hunter Foster, well-known for his musical roles in Little Shop of Horrors and Urinetown, is well equipped to play the backsliding Zeke's attempt to regain his dignity after being fired. His down-at-heels character is the most likable one in the story, and Foster wisely doesn't play him with Hallmark sentimentality.
Still, it's very hard to warm to this play that has a chilly, pathological atmosphere hanging over most scenes, including the romantic ones. To wit: Zeke starts dating Martin's daughter Jenny, who he meets at a bar. Yet it's impossible to tell whether he.s sincerely interested in Jenny or merely exploiting her to gain a kind of revenge against her Dad. Jenny, with her sharp biting sarcasm toward both her Dad and Zeke only complicates the volatile situation further. Fortunately, Campbell has talent to spare, and makes her Jenny more substantial than she is. She is the gem that sparkles in front of the footlights.
It's a shame to see A-list actors chomping on lines that are cliché-laden and trite. Credit Scott Zigler's well-executed direction for keeping things moving along despite the play's less than engaging substance.
|
Dust Written by Billy Goda Directed by Scott Zigler Cast: Richard Masur (Martin Stone), Hunter Foster (Zeke Catchman), Curtis McClarin (Bobby Lawton), Laura E. Campbell (Jenny Stone), John Schiappa (Ralph), Curtis McClarin (Digs), John Schiappa (Man) . Sets: Caleb Wertenbaker Costumes: Theresa Squire Sound: Sharath Patel Lighting: Charles Foster Fight Direction: Rick Sordelet Stage Manager: Pamela Edington Running Time: 1 hour: 40 minutes including a 15 minute intermission. Westside Theatre (Downstairs) at 407 West 43rd Street. Visit telecharge.com or call 212/239-6200 From 11/18/08; opening 12/04/08; closing 2/08/09. Tuesday through Saturday @ 8pm and Sunday @ 7pm with matinees on Saturday and Sunday @ 3pm. Reviewed by Deirdre Donovan based on December 2nd press performance. |
|
REVIEW FEEDBACK Highlight one of the responses below and click "copy" or"CTRL+C"
Paste the highlighted text into the subject line (CTRL+ V): Feel free to add detailed comments in the body of the email. |
South Pacific
In the Heights
Playbill 2007-08 Yearbook
Leonard Maltin's 2008 Movie Guide
