Tony-nominated playwright, Lyle Kessler, has written an enigmatic new play. "PERP" is a bit of a morality play, set as if it were a "Law and Order" style TV cop drama. Jack (Tricia Alexandro) and Harvey (Paul Ben-Victor) portray a parody of the Good Cop - Bad Cop routine as they interrogate a murder suspect. Douglass (Ali Arkane) is a naif - a collector of bugs who may be on the spectrum. In his innocence- think of Lenny in "Of Mice and Men"- he falls for the cops' ploys and pleads guilty to a crime he did not commit. He is led to believe that by doing so he may be able to help the police apprehend the real murderer.
There are some plot twists that strain credulity. Douglass ends up sharing a prison cell with kind-hearted Myron (Craig Mums Grant). Over checkers games, Myron helps Douglass plan an escape so that he can go back to the woods to find the real murderer. In a Dickensian chain of coincidences, Douglass does indeed encounter Harry (Javier Molina). The final scenes play out the subtle confrontation between Harry and Douglass.
Mr. Kessler's theme in this play seems to be that good and evil can be found in unlikely places, and that innocence can prevail over malice. In the Barrow Group's cozy performance space on 36th Street, the metallic Set Design by Edward T. Morris, complemented by the Lighting Design by Marika Kent, enhance the storytelling. Costumes are by Kristin Isola, and Sound Design by Matt Otto. The excellent cast of five actors is ably directed by Lee Brock.
The play, even with its flaws, is worth watching. The actors create credible characters, even those that are written as caricatures.
Perp runs through April 11 at The Barrow Group (312 West 36th St.). Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday–Monday. Tickets may be purchased by calling (866) 811-4111 or visiting barrowgroup.com.
Enjoy!
Al
No comments:
Post a Comment