Ron Bottitta and Patrick Keleher (Photo by Jenny Graham)
Reviewed by Iris Mann
Fountain Theatre
Through March 30
RECOMMENDED
This is a stunning and important work. As conceived and directed by Stephen Sachs, Fatherland seamlessly and masterfully blends the political with the personal.
Taken word for word from court transcripts, public statements, and recorded evidence, the play tells the story of a family that is ripped open when the 19-year-old son (Patrick Keleher) turns in his father (Ron Bottitta) to the FBI and testifies against him at a subsequent trial. The father had taken part in the January 6, 2021, insurrection during which a huge, crazed horde stormed the Capitol building. They were acting under the misapprehension that the presidential election had been stolen from Donald Trump. The father was also a member of the militia group called the Three Percenters, whose members believe that only three percent of the colonists fought against the British during the American Revolution, while the rest were content to live under the King of England.
Interspersed with the son’s court testimony are scenes depicting interactions between father and son, through which we see the father become increasingly convinced that he is the true patriot. We also see his son’s agony over exposing his father to prosecution.
What makes the play particularly effective is that neither is portrayed as a hero or a villain. Even more impactful is the opportunity to observe how a seemingly ordinary, even loving, family man can become seduced by beliefs that lead to actions which threaten our way of life. In his testimony, the son says that a few years prior he’d leaned moderately left, politically, while his father had leaned moderately to the right. He also notes that his father became captivated by Trump after reading Trump’s book, The Art of the Deal, which then became his father’s “bible.” With Trump’s election in 2016, the son explains, father and son each veered much further into their own political inclinations.
When Trump lost the 2020 election, the father, armed, drove from Texas to Washington, D.C. to join a violent protest. The atmosphere of that protest is cleverly recreated: We hear the sounds of the riot in the background as we watch the father shout out what he’d like to do to then Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi. High on the drama of the uprising, he incites the audible mob to breach the barriers, challenge the police and storm the building. While he never actually entered the Capitol, he liked to claim credit for the debacle. “I lit the match,” he later brags, “that started the fire.” Proudly, he describes the events to his son, who has already contacted the FBI and is secretly recording everything his father details about the turmoil, to be used as evidence.
The story is particularly relevant now that we have become such a deeply divided nation, with factions that threaten our democracy and the specter of fascism looming in the wings. What is especially interesting is the title of the play, “Fatherland,” — an expression in vogue during the Nazi era in Germany.
As director, Sachs has skillfully fashioned a whirlwind of a piece, punctuated by explosive segments and with a sometimes understated, yet starkly real ambience. A palpable air of tension permeates the proceedings, and we know we are witnessing life-changing events.
The performances are all first-rate. The charismatic Bottitta is a standout. His work is especially shattering during the section in which a sense of the riot is created, with his character loudly whipping up the crazed mob. Although what the father does is repugnant, Bottitta nonetheless imbues him with a certain appeal as a basically decent man and an affectionate, generous parent.
Keleher evokes sympathy and effectively communicates the son’s angst over his decision to betray his father, while his occasional flashes of anger are delivered with great impact.
Anna Khaja as the U.S. Attorney interrogating the son is an attractive, compelling figure, investing her character with authority, incisiveness and control. As the defense attorney who tries to ameliorate the son’s testimony, Larry Poindexter is smoothly aggressive and challenging. His presence is strong, and he makes a definite impression.
The contributions of sound designer Stewart Blackwood and lighting designer Alison Brummer cannot be overstated, particularly in relation to the riot at the Capitol building.
The play is based on the case of Guy Reffitt, who became the first person convicted for his part in this historical, expectations-shattering uprising. Found guilty on five counts, Reffitt was sentenced to seven years and three months.
The Fountain Theatre, 5060 Fountain Ave., E. Hollywood. Opens Sun., Feb. 25; Fri.-Sat., 8 pm, Sun., 2 pm & 7 pm, Mon., 8 pm; thru March 30. www.FountainTheatre.com; running time 70 minutes, with no intermission.
