God of Carnage
Reviewed by Julia Stier
Foursome Productions
Through May 29
RECOMMENDED
“How many parents, standing up for their children, don’t become infantile themselves?”
The Tony Award-winning play, God of Carnage, written by Yasmina Reza and translated by Christopher Hampton, explores how adults handle the fallout from disputes that erupt between their children – sometimes behaving worse than the children themselves.
Over the span of 75 minutes, audiences watch two seemingly composed couples devolve into the childish, infantile adults they critique at the top of the show. There’s Michael Novak (Matthew Downs) and his wife Veronica (Lisa LoCicero) the “woke” philanthropist; and Annette Raleigh (Leilani Smith) and her work-obsessed, lawyer husband, Alan (Jack Esformes). As the four of them decide what course to take in resolving the situation between their respective sons, things get ugly.
Under Peter Allas’s direction, the actors take each of their characters’ quirks seriously, and amplify them almost to the point of caricature, without ever crossing that line. LoCicero especially is fascinating to watch, as she flips on the charm, then the condemnation.
While there are definite comedic elements to this production – and there were quite a few instances where the audience was laughing heartily – I was stressed. Between realistic onstage vomiting and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?-esque marital disputes, the script presents itself less as an absurd comedy, and more as a crucible of contrasting personalities.
However, the chaos (and anxiety) does pay off, as a phone call from the Novak’s daughter douses the couples with a metaphoric bucket of cold water, in a surprisingly powerful and quiet ending.
The technical elements of this production are spot-on – from the aforementioned vomit, to the particular costumes (Mylette Nora) that expertly reflect each character’s personality. Tyler Scrivner and Jenine MacDonald craft a recognizably affluent Brooklyn residence for the set, and pay delightful detail to Veronica’s “genuine” obsession with Africa by including a collection of African art.
This play may be for an older audience who can sympathize with and see themselves in these characters, who, at their core, just want what’s best for their children.
For this reviewer in her 20s? Well, now I’m just afraid to have kids.
The Odyssey Theatre 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles; Thurs. – Sat., at 8 p.m., Sun., at 2 p.m.; through May 29. https://www.onstage411.com/Carnage. Running time: One hour and fifteen minutes with no intermission.
