Theater Online - New York Theater Reviews

  

Heading downtown to subterranean theater spaces, there is a certain anticipation.  Is this tucked away venue going to be the space that houses an incredible diamond in the rough“  While the potential for such a discovery is always possible, it unfortunately was not mined in the form of Strange Dog Theater Company’s production of Claire Went to France.

As presented in the Horse Trade Theater Group’s intimate Under St. Marks space, the story follows a perpetually depressed Johnathon (played by Tony Knotts) as he quite literally counts the minutes of his trivial life, like a less pithy Holden Caulfield.  He is joined in these truly depressing exploits by his Grandpa (Gary Martins), Dog (Scott Cagney) – both of whom are dead – and Ex-Girlfriend (Shannon Sullivan), who we learn is chained inside the closet.

The first act of the play, which runs about an hour and fifteen minutes, recounts how depressing his life is, while his in-house cohorts do little to comfort him: His dog can barely feign excitement to see him, his Grandpa chides him for his ungratefulness and Ex-Girlfriend periodically hops out of the closet to remind him of what a useless so-and-so he is.  It is an activity that quickly grows tired and provides minimal insight given the amount of time devoted to the exercise.

  

The first act closes with Johnathon heading to a bar to provide an opportunity for him to “love living things.”

In the second act we discover a highly inebriated anti-hero who proudly reports that after a few cocktails he mustered up some charisma and even managed to shag a number.  We are then introduced to his lovely lady from the bar, Real Girl (played by an engaging Aliee Chan).  There is a natural chemistry, until we discover that Real Girl is heading to Japan for what she describes as “fulfilling work.”  Discouraged by another opportunity to be happy dashed in an instant, the Real Girl departs for her journey abroad, but the memory of her takes up residence with the rest of the inhabitants of his bleak apartment.

The main problem with Artem Yatsunov’s play is the first act.  It is an absolute slog as the audience is forced to stay connected to material that sustains such hopelessly listless dialogue.  To put a finer point on it, the work feels like spending an hour with that friend who does nothing but tell you how horrible his or her life is and then makes you pick up the check for the privilege of doing so.

It is only when Johnathon decides to go to a bar that there seems to be hope.  This hope is delivered in broad fashion when Knotts’ Johnathon arrives home drunk and full of life.  This new found joie de vivre provides a much needed lift to the production. A few more moments engaging this kind of mirth would do the production good.

The direction by Ben Clawson is markedly uneven.  Admittedly, the Under St. Mark’s playing space is quite compact, but Mr. Clawson does little to regulate the blocking accordingly, and as a result much of the action feels clumsy and unsure.  While he clearly delights in the theatricality of the second act, the static staging and lack of variety provided in the first act dulls what could be a greater overall impact.

The real stand out in this production is Scott Cagney as “Dog”.  In a story with little to smile about, he relishes the messages he brings to the production and provides great depth to a role that could easily be played in caricature.  As an actor, it is apparent that he is earnestly listening to those he’s sharing the space with and responds honestly.  The results are often hilarious, and occasionally heartbreaking.