Ben Edlin, Corbin Reid and Carlo Manscola (Photo by Jeff Lorch)
Reviewed by Amanda L. Andrei
Last Exit Productions
Through September 29
I pledge obedience to the flag of the Confederate States of America and to the rebellion for which it stands. Our nation, ordained by God, unimpeachable, with security and enterprise for all. Such is the uneasy oath recited by Confederate citizens in the alternative history-world of TH IR DS, written by Ben Edlin (with additional story developed by Deborah Aquila). While the play is based on an intriguing social premise, especially given our looming environmental crisis, it underdelivers on a personal level.
Directed by Jessica Aquila Cymerman, this dystopic cross-genre drama is set after the Civil War. Instead of uniting, the country we know as the United States of America has split into southern, northern, and western contingents. Two storylines weave together. The first is a documentary shot in alt-Alabama, focusing on the impact of a water crisis on a young couple, Patricia Todd (Tess Harrison) and Peter Todd (Éanna O’Dowd), spliced with exposition from Professor William Seward (Derek Webster). The second thread—performed live—concerns dealings between a private water company in California and the Confederate government. Jewish Pacific American David Cohen (Ben Edlin) and Korean Confederate American Steven Choi (Brian Yeun) have the closest relationship, bantering on the phone and finally meeting in-person at a dinner after closing the deal on constructing a massive water pipeline.
There’s some fumbling with lines and accents in the beginning and awkward movement in the tight office spaces throughout the whole piece. However, the performance gains momentum in the second half. Edlin’s energy is mostly subdued within his soft-spoken demeanor, even when under pressure from the villainous Confederate official, James Cross (Carlo Manscola inhabiting a one-sided role, who nonetheless fills it with menace). Corbin Reid as Catherine Shepard portrays ambition with a touch of duplicity. Brian Yeun shines best when his Steven Choi can bare his teeth and heart, thus injecting pugnacity into a political debate with Cohen that otherwise crosses into didactic territory.
The faux documentary conceit is an audacious move that helps flesh out this complex world, though it raises distracting ethical concerns. Peter asks to stop being filmed and blocks the camera, yet the roll continues and he easily relents, which lessens the perceived threat his family might receive from authorities. Later, he grabs his gun, slips off his wedding ring and leaves the house in anger, — yet the documentarian keeps filming and does nothing to stop him, despite the implication that he will commit violence. In this case, it appears that storytelling takes precedence over culpability.
Scenic and props designer Jeff G. Rack and graphic/project designer Michelle Hanzelova-Bierbauer offer more fascinating world-building choices, with fake books by Professor Seward lining the entrance to the theatre, along with magazines with Shephard’s face and posters for clean water. Joseph Slawinski’s soundscape emphasizes the water theme with rain and, later on, a more ominous liquid.
Wanting to work out politics and tough ideas onstage is indeed commendable, and while the scenario contains some forced elements, it nonetheless has pliability and imagination. However, the characters need to display more humanity and individuality beyond their ideologies and dialogues. They want better for society — we can all agree that clean water for all humans is a good and noble thing — but it would be more riveting to see these desires grounded more explicitly in each character onstage.
Zephyr Theatre 7456 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood; Fri.-Sat., 8 pm, Sun., 2 pm; thru Sept. 29. https://thirdstheplay.com. Running time: two hours with one intermission.
