Andrew Elvis Miller and Taylor Gilbert in “The Civil Twilight.” (Photo by Lizzie Kimball)

Fame and Misfortune

Shem Bitterman’s “The Civil Twilight”

By Ursula Youd 

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The writer of this article, Ursula Youd (Photo, courtesy of Ursula Youd)

This article is part of the Stage Raw/Unusual Suspects Youth Journalism Fellowship

The Civil Twilight, by Shem Bitterman, is a thrilling play (and a thriller) that speaks to our current cultural and political moment with biting humor and moral seriousness. Ann Carlson (Taylor Gilbert) and John Pine (Andrew Elvis Miller) are trapped in a storm, somewhere in the Midwest, and, due to circumstances beyond their control, end up sharing a grubby motel room for 24 hours. We learn that John is a famous radio show host and Ann is his biggest fan. As time goes on, they discover who each other really is, and so does the audience. The Civil Twilight is playing at The Broadwater in Hollywood through December 22.

After the production had finished, I introduced myself, and my father, to both actors. My father remarked about how timely the play was, given the November 5 presidential election and Miller replied, “We thought it was going to be a fantasy.” I found that to be remarkable because the play makes us feel as if the motel room we are trapped in is in fact Donald Trump’s America.

Just before the election, I was in the position of believing that it was only a dread-fantasy that Donald Trump would re-take office, but the unbelievable still can come true. Sitting through the 90-minute play, I thought about how easily it is for someone with so much power to create a trap one cannot climb out of. Then came the election results, and I had the exact same thought.

John Pine starts off as a very charming man and all the attention was on Ann being a “psychotic” superfan, infatuated with John’s life. Slowly, John’s charisma becomes the dark truth of who he really is. He is a man who only lives for money, like so many other wealthy Americans, including Trump. Ann on the other hand unfolds as a caring woman who falls in love with John’s “authenticity” on the radio, but becomes wary of his manipulative demeanor, but only for a minute.

So many Americans are constantly viewing the news filled with politicians who lie straight to our faces. For the past few months, America had been focused on the presidential election that could have resulted in the first woman president of the United States. Clearly, many people preferred the man who is more persuasive with lies.

Gilbert and Miller (Photo by Lizzy Kimball)

The Civil Twilight touches on the relationships between women and men, the rich and the poor. John even says that “There is a reason I’m me, and you’re you,” which later is defined by him lying to all of America over the radio, just so he can make money and get exactly what he wants. Comically, Ann only regards him poorly when he repeatedly calls her a “walrus of a woman.” Don’t get me wrong, I would be insulted by those words if somebody called me that. However, he continually confesses to all the godawful actions he’s committed. Yet Ann still values him like gold, even when he points out the folly of apologizing.  John says to Ann, “They think if you’re sorry, you’re weak.”

Has anyone ever heard or seen Donald Trump apologize? No, and the people who accept his unapologetic demeanor deny the absurdity of his moralities. That is the biggest flaw of Americans who choose to praise and elect an inherently evil narcissist; they look past the biggest trait of a person with no remorse.

There’s a misconception that it is okay to continue to abuse the other person/people if already forgiven. For example, John calls Ann a “walrus” and then a “whale,” which Ann takes very hard. They sort it out and Ann forgives him, then he calls her a walrus again. When John apologizes, it’s a tactic rather than an atonement. Throughout the play it is a cycle of abuse, apology, forgiveness, and more abuse, just like we see in today’s politics.

Although the chances would be low that one would be trapped in a hotel room with their idol, it is still possible. Was it what Ann hoped it would be? No. That sets the stage for the theme of false idols within the play.

Photo by Lizzy Kimball

The Civil Twilight embarks on the politics of America and how easy it is for the rich and famous to get away with crimes. I will forever be stumped on how easy it is to be a villain while everyone’s watching you, and worse, supporting you.

There is a scene at the end of the play that confuses me a bit. John and Ann are in a heated conflict starting on stage, but make their way off stage to continue. The outcome of the conflict is not very clear. It distracts the audience from what was going on in the story. I did find, though, that the relationship progression between Ann and John is strong and apparent. Ann’s scattered self becomes much more delightful because the story becomes more about the unfolding of John’s bitter personality. Still, they find comfort in each other’s true identities and by the end, in a way, they become one and the same.

What MAGA people are to Trump, Ann is to John. The ones who could have control have succumbed to the ignorant obsession of evil. Living in Los Angeles, it is hard to believe that there are people out there who actually believe in politicians’ cursed ideals, like Trump’s. The Civil Twilight helped me understand that concept more because of how explicit it was to me.

Gilbert and Miller live up fully to the demands of their roles. The whole production, directed by Ann Hearn Tobolowsky, feels so real, and I am lucky to have seen it in such an intimate setting.  In establishing the realistic details of the single-set motel room, Joel Daavid’s production design is wonderful, ensuring that every object on that stage matters; there is not a single superfluous object. And there is so much symmetry: the window across from a painting, the twin beds, and the circles that appear in various places.

Seeing the play at the time I did, just before the election, was really special. Do see this production before it closes because it truly depicts the current political state of America and brings so much insight into what might seem so bewildering about our country.

The Broadwater, 6320 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90038, Friday And Saturday 8:00 p.m, Sunday 3:00 p.m.; thru Dec. 22. https://www.thebroadwaterla.com/ Running time is 90 minutes with no intermission