Dana H.
Reviewed by Stephen Fife
Center Theatre Group
Through June 23
RECOMMENDED
Dana H. is the new play by superstar playwright Lucas Hnath (A Doll’s House, Part 2), currently in the last week of its world premiere run at the Kirk Douglas Theatre.
The play — and it is a play, not a one-person show — is about the playwright’s mother and a terrifying series of traumatic events that she went through in 1997. While working as a hospital chaplain in Orlando, Florida, she said a few sympathetic words to a neo-Nazi in the psychiatric ward who was recovering from a brutal suicide attempt. A short time later, Jim (the neo-Nazi) was discharged, and the only person he knew to ask for help was Dana. She was afraid of him, but her husband at the time dedicated himself to helping men out with their rehabilitation, and he agreed to take Jim in. This did not go well, and Dana finally went out and found Jim an apartment. Soon after, Dana and her husband separated, and Jim returned to Dana’s place, unable to live on his own. He proceeded to take over her life for the next five months, breaking her nose and inflicting many other injuries as he forced her to accompany him on a cross-country odyssey in search of drugs, money and some serious trouble.
During the time these events were unfolding, the playwright was attending NYU. He asked his friend Steve Cosson (founder of The Civilians, a theater company specializing in fact-based stories) to record an interview with his mother about these events. This play is Lucas Hnath’s edited presentation of these recordings. (He is mentioned several times in passing by his mother, but, tellingly, his personal feelings are never dwelt upon or expressed.) His mother is depicted here by the great actress Deirdre O’Connell. Rather than have O’Connell recite excerpts from the tape, Hnath has her lip-sync his mother’s voice. This creates an oddly-surrealistic stage effect. I found myself wondering why he made this choice, as well as why he called his play “Dana H.” rather than “My Mom’s Descent into Hell” or something like that.
Charles McNulty in The Los Angeles Times has suggested that “Dana H.” sounds like a Freudian case history. To me, it sounds more like the way people are referred to in a police report. Like everything else in this remarkable work, the title is open to personal interpretation. Perhaps this is why this 75-minute play is such a rich and compelling experience. There is no attempt to persuade us of any moral lesson. No advice is dispensed about how we should live our lives. Instead, Hnath offers us the opportunity to make of these horrific events whatever we choose to. And there is a wonderful sense of freedom in that.
One thing not up for debate is Les Waters’ production, which is impeccable. I cannot imagine it being bettered in any regard. It is certainly among the top three productions I’ve viewed at the Douglas in the last several years. For theatergoers who have often seen shows that ape what others have done, nothing more, Dana H. is a real tonic. This is how powerful the theater can be, and it’s great to be reminded of that.
The Kirk Douglas Theater, 9820 Washington Blvd., Culver City; Tues.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sat., 2 p.m.; Sun., 1 p.m. & 6:30 p.m.; through Jun. 23. (213) 628-2772 or https://www.centertheatregroup.org/booking/best-available?prod_no=16151&perf_no=16173. Running time: 75 minutes with no intermission.
