Williamstown Theatre Festival, Williamstown, MA
through July 9
by Jarice Hanson
 |
| Photo by Daniel Rader |
The World Premiere of Korean-born playwright Jason Kim’s
play explores the American Dream; what it means to different people, how it is
viewed throughout the world, and how pursuing it affects the human soul. Director Danny Sharron has
created a tight-knit production that unfolds seamlessly, even though each scene
has a unique pace and tension.
While the outcome of the play is somewhat expected, the joy in this
production is watching the six actors develop their characters and create real
people and relationships that challenge our expectations of stereotypical
portrayals of the “other.” Rarely are we treated to such honesty in
performance.
Every actor is unique and believable, and therefore deserves
recognition. Hiram Delgado as
Gabriel is the central protagonist who goes through a metamorphosis in this 95
minute production. This young
actor is someone to watch for—his sincerity and character development is
nothing less than outstanding. He’s joined by Laila Robins, a seasoned actress
who can raise the bar on innuendo with the raise of an eyebrow. Maurice Jones as the idealistic
boss who followed his own American Dream and Sheria Irving as his sister, whose
stint in rehab indicates that siblings often take different direction, create a
very believable family unit. Micah
Stock’s physicality as a Westchester slacker provides a perfect counterpoint to
the ambitious Gabriel, and Han Jonghoon, who performs both in Korean and
English adds to the character-driven drama and makes you wonder if he is
channeling the playwright’s own voice.
The play is all about the characters and it takes place on
Wilson Chin’s spare, but effective set.
Along with Eric Southern’s lighting design, this production makes you
marvel at how such a spare set can lend itself to so many uniquely developed
scenes. While I found the predictability of the play somewhat disappointing, I
was left with deep appreciation for the way these artists developed this work
and gave the audience something to think and talk about.
This play was developed through the Bill Foeller Fellowship
Program at Williamstown Theatre Festival starting in 2016, and it is an
excellent example of what can become of great concept, in the hands of
talented, hard-working professionals.
I think this play could well have a long, successful life in theatre.
