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A CurtainUp Review
Good Person of Szechwan
No dramatist understood this truth better than Bertolt Brecht, who spent his artistic life pursuing a multi-faceted vision of the theater in which elements of vaudeville, commedia dell'arte, and morality play came together to produce works startling in their deep understanding of the human condition. When a theater company understands this challenge as much as Brecht did, and has the talent to approach it, the result is a special one — and it's hard to think of a company better suited for the task than The Foundry Theatre, which has got a winner on its hands with Good Person of Szechwan. Brecht's play follows the life of Shen Tei, a prostitute living in poverty in the slums of Szechwan until she shelters three gods, searching for a "good person" to prove that it is possible to be both good and survive in the world. The gods pay her an exorbitant amount for the night's lodging-partly to support her "goodness," though this isn't technically allowed-and leave, instructing her friend Wang to watch what happens next. Predictably for one of Brecht's tales, what happens next is a series of compromises and half-measures, with the other residents of the slums attempting to take advantage of Shen Tei's good fortune and good will…until she is forced to develop an alternate persona, a cousin she names Shui Ta, to deal with matters. It's not a feel good story by any stretch, but part of Brecht's brilliance is his ability to take a fundamentally sad tale and skillfully lighten the tone with comedic elements, over the top characters and absurd self-commentary. Here's where the Foundry production really hits its stride. Director Lear deBessonet jumps in with both feet, drawing the production into an outsized, larger than life caricature. The set (nicely conceived by designer Matt Saunders) features a series of small houses over which the actors tower, emphasizing not only the absurdity of the story but the almost puppet-like quality of its characters. And the action is both dynamic and engaging, using the unique space of La MaMa's Ellen Stewart Theatre to maximum effect, with enough audience interaction to destabilize the usual lines between performer and viewer without irritating either party. The cast has the same commitment as the crew, and there are really no bad performances, with particularly credible turns from Vinie Burrows, Annie Golden and Mia Katigbak as the gods, memorable performances as both Mrs. Mi Tzu and Mrs. Yang by Lisa Kron, and a genuine, likable rendering of Wang the Waterseller by David Turner. Bit it's Taylor Mac's performance as Shen Tei that is the real standout here. Mac seems to be made for this role. He's utterly human and at great ease with both Shen Tei and her yang Shui Ta, simultaneously generating sympathy for her plight and frustration at her constant attempts to both survive and do good in the world-two essentially incompatible things which the usually absent gods are incapable of helping to reconcile. When Shen Tei asks them for help, her anguish at being dismissively told "You can manage. Only be good, and all will be well!" is pitch perfect. It all adds up to a fine production and a worthy first collaboration between The Foundry Theatre and La MaMa. As they point out in the program, Brecht might have been the perfect opening choice: a shining example of how well theater can work when bringing together apparently disparate elements into a harmonious whole. This is real theater — bold, chaotic, and compelling, for real theater fans. If you count yourself in that group, I highly recommend Good Person of Szechwan.
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