Theater Online - New York Theater Reviews

"Leaving IKEA" is one of the oddest evenings of theatre out there. That's not to say that it's good. Or bad. But it's certainly something audiences will never forget. Production company Artful Conspirators have created a bold evening of art that is divided into two longer plays which they have decided to call 'cantos.' The overall feel of the piece is about relationships and IKEA is a perfect pop culture venue for examining how we are evolving. After all, the Swedish mega-franchise is a place where living decisions are made. At any given moment around the world there are hundreds of couples arguing in a makeshift IKEA living room on over what type of chair they're going to buy and who's going to assemble it. Writers Monica Flory and Dano Maddentackle the daunting task of not only spoofing pop culture and consumerism but transforming it into a focal point for our larger society. Both playwrights dive in with gusto with bold, creative, and unusual choices. 

In the first series, Dano's play deals with Marcus and Roy: a gay couple redecorating their apartment before a fateful meeting with Roy's parents. When it's revealed that Roy has never told his parents about being gay, much less his 2-year relationship, Marcus breaks up with his partner in the IKEA living room set. But when Marcus tries to find the exit for a quick getaway, the characters are thrown into an alternative universe in which their personal and present histories play out in different parts of the IKEA store. There is a lot more interaction going on between IKEA co-workers, the parents, and the quarreling lovers but an entire essay could be written on all the complex  It's an amazing idea that has many brilliant touches. But overall the story struggles to hold together. It feels as if the cast and crew are still struggling to define how this universe works. It leads to a lot of shrill, over-the-top acting that is squirm inducing in places where it's supposed to be funny. In the alternative universe the characters emotional index ranges from hysterical to belligerent. And at a certain point the bickering couples become tedious and exasperating.

The writing doesn't help matters as everyone rehashes the same point several times, as if audiences needed a reminder of what's at stake. By the time the canto is winding down there is a sense of utter exhaustion. And then something totally unexpected happens: the play finds a heart. in the closing minutes of the piece the actors find their depths, the directing becomes well crafted, and even the writer flowers into several beautiful exchanges. If only more of this emotional maturity had been shown earlier in the piece, then the first canto might have lived up to its ambition. But as is, the audience staggered outside during the intermission like they had just fought a long, tough battle with annoying relative. 

The second canto is a little bit more forgiving on the nerves, but not by much. Monica Flory crafted her story around Beth and Dan, a married couple expecting their first baby. They're in IKEA shopping for a crib. All of a sudden, they are also tossed into an alternative universe controlled by an IKEA gnome who has a chorus of enslaved IKEA workers to do his bidding. When the gnome steals the baby that's in utero, the couple most go through a series of trials and tribulations to get their child back. In process they relive different parts of their relationship. The appeal of this canto lies in the relationship between the cranky father-to-be and his pregnant wife. Less successful is the enslaved chorus who has a back story that is less compelling and told through flat monologues. But much like the first canto, something shifts at the end of the piece that makes for a few moments of beauty and magic. 

Director David Miller finds some great gems of craftsmanship amidst a lot of confusing and saggy text. And writers Flory and Madden should be applauded for their ambition and imagination. The 13-cast ensemble acquits itself by the end by leaving the audienc with love that has been transformed in the odd world of IKEA. Actors Molly Lloyd and Marshall York are a delight as the expecting married couple. Paul Kite portrays the gnome with a mixture of possessed demon child and a little dictator. All in all, Artful Conspirators have created something memorable. Although deeply flawed in places and unclear in others, "Leaving IKEA" is one of those shows audiences will talk about for a long time.