In the style of Our Town, the new play King’s River - opening this weekend at the Medicine Show Theatre - follows a group of residents living in a fictional Southern town. Written by Andrew Rosenberg & Ean Miles Kessler with direction by David Delaney, River is not as tight although certainly grittier than the Thornton Wilder classic.
Comprised of short scenes, vignettes and songs, the members of the ensemble tackle numerous roles apiece while some enhance the setting with instrumentals. As soon as you enter the theatre, you’re greeted with impeccable singing and guitar playing from the criminally underused Timothy Giles -- his version of ‘Ring of Fire’ is somehow the perfect combination of smooth and granular. Oddly, Giles- the best character actor both vocally and physically- is left to play the Narrator when he should dive into meatier ensemble roles that would better highlight his talent.
As the inhabitants of King’s River come and go, it becomes difficult to emotionally invest in their circumstances. This is because we’re not latching onto one specific linear story. Rather, the success of this production’s every moment hinges on the acting and writing of a scene that’s five minutes max: a ton of pressure for the artists involved. In this style, it’s glaring when a sense of arbitrariness takes over, when there’s not a clear beginning/middle/end to each vignette. Yes, the playwrights have done an admirable job of providing comedy and tension throughout the evening -- although I did leave the theatre thinking that they should turn the two or three best plotlines into a play while leaving behind the less compelling ones.
The most deft mix of writing with acting involves a teenage boy and girl developing a romantic relationship, played with youthful charm by Andrew Rosenberg (as Geoff) and Jasmine Sharay Carmichael (as Tanya). Rosenberg is particularly strong as his Geoff attempts to cover his true feelings for Tanya. This whole scene feels fresh and raw because Rosenberg experiences this hilarious adolescent ‘drama’ (making Tanya jealous; hiding an erection) for the very first time in front of our eyes. In a completely endearing turn in Rosenberg and Kessler’s script, Tanya never becomes offended throughout Geoff’s waywardness but rather laughs and smiles at him along with the audience. Carmichael is adorable as she teases her schoolmate and teaches him to dance (finally, this reviewer knows what the Dougie looks like!). This cute twosome becomes even more magnetic with the presence of Landon Woodson’s Jeff, Geoff’s best friend. He, like Carmichael and Rosenberg, perfectly embodies the spirit of a ten-year-old in a feisty but accommodating performance.
If the Geoff/Tanya scene is winning, funny and unpredictable, a story involving some Southern hicks (Kessler, Woodson, Dalton Gray, Ruffin Prentiss) is the opposite. Described in the dramatis personae as ‘local yokels,’ these lazy, vulgar characters are simply not endearing. As they discuss urinating (not once, but twice!) in a boss’s desk, the playwrights have certainly painted these characters in a very certain light -- but that light is an embarrassing one. I may be a naïve New Yorker but if people like these four really do exist in real life, I’m not sure I want to see a play about them. They do, however, fare better in their Act II scene in which their bond of brotherhood is more appealing and director David Delaney keeps the dialogue and action flowing at just the right pace.
There’s another story featuring a neurotic waitress named Margaret (Gwynneth Bensen, lovely as this character but not convincing in her second role) and her new beau - army man Hank (Rosenberg, perfect once again). This is one of the plotlines I wish was developed into its own show. Act II does a surprisingly nice job of taking Act I’s developments to fulfilling conclusions - particularly Geoff and Tanya’s story. The same cannot be said for Margaret and Hank’s underdeveloped account. We see them meet, we love them both… and it goes nowhere. Similarly, the tale of a father, son and a girl caught in the middle could pack more of a punch had there been two or three more scenes to develop its themes. As it stands, the actors take us to first base (a riveting three-way kiss) when we want to go to at least third with these unconventional characters.
A story involving a senator seeking an endorsement is unnecessary and another involving a bartender named Theo (Woodson, versatile) plus his drunk father Ray (Terrell Wheeler, displaying laudable depth) mostly works. The nostalgia in Wheeler’s eyes as he delivers the line “We danced… oh lord, did we dance” is hard to ignore. It’s a simple line delivered so honestly and straightforwardly, it makes you think about your own past relationships and how on Earth they could have gone wrong.
Ultimately, a visit to King’s River is worthwhile because of an animated cast that brings the world of the play to life with ardor. The scattered stories, at best, take you deep inside a specific world (the dirty South) and, at worse, far away from cohesion. River is indeed reminiscent of Our Town -- Wilder’s play, however, highlights a more solid group of recurring characters whereas the ones in River come and go without a clear dramatic arc to be found.
