Theater for the New City presents The Cell's production of a new work by a promising playwright Amina Henry entitled "An American Family Takes a Lover". This dark comedy can easily be compared with the likes of Isben's "A Doll's House". In her mind-jarring play, Henry approaches issues of race, class and identity by inviting the audience to peek into the lives of an elite white married couple who have taken a young black lover as their 'other'.
The calculatedly sparse set (wonderfully crafted by Andrew Diaz) with its gaping hole in between the living and dining room serves as our entry to the world of the play: even before it begins, your mind races to figure out what happened here and what may soon happen onstage. As the lights dim, Obama's 'Yes We Can' speech segues into the interactions of Richard David (Bob Jaffe) and Lady Anne (Lila Donnolo), who are preparing to leave for work; their 'other', Justine (Tiffany Nichole Greene), will stay at home to let in the handyman who is coming to fix the hole they describe as 'an accident'.
Donnolo is exquisite as Lady Anne; she plays the role with wit and charm that permeates the character's opposing fear and confidence. Lady Anne is the epitome of what used to be considered "high class," speaking highly and often of her black nanny in nostalgic memory of the past. Jaffe as Richard David is both alluring and frightening in his lustrous affection for his 'puppy', the nickname given to Justine. The two fight over the attention of Justine while they neglect their most obvious problems within their own partnership.
As the play progresses, we learn that the sweet and loveable Justine has been with this couple for nearly two years. She was silent before, but now she speaks -- sometimes overstepping her boundaries. Thomas the handyman (Daniel Le) is inviting and unassuming, with genuine intentions to help Justine surface from her Stockholm Syndrome. He is the polyamorous hero of this world, teaching Justine to swim on land using both their imaginations and a water bowl to practice breathing.
Director Kira Simring keeps the energy alive in this play; she allows the actors a chance to breathe in this make-shift home while putting us right smack in the middle of this character-driven whirlwind. The space itself is tight but we never feel that way, engaged by the wondrous revelry and punishments that happen throughout this play. Lauryn Hill's "Killing Me Softly" makes a wondrous surprise cameo, settling us into the modern reality that the circumstances very well could happen in this day and age. Some things lie unspoken in the play, nicely shifting perspectives and social understandings; as Justine gains clarity so do we.
"An American Family takes a Lover" exposes society's holes in life -- and, in doing so, perhaps makes the first steps towards patching them up.
Performances of "An American Family Takes a Lover" continue through November 17th. For more information, check out our full event listing here: https://stagebuddy.com/listingdetail.php?lid=15611
