Reviewed by Judy Richter
It doesn't take long for the
veneer of social niceties to wear off and change into more primitive behavior
in Yasmina Reza's
"God of Carnage." In this 80-minute, intermissionless production by Marin
Theatre Company,
director Ryan Rilette skillfully yet inexorably leads his talented cast through this
gradual evolution.
The
action takes place in the Brooklyn living room of Veronica (Stacy Ross) and Michael Novak (Remi Sandri). They are meeting with Alan (Warren
David Keith) and
Annette Raleigh (Rachel Harker) after a playground altercation between their
11-year-old sons. It ended with the Raleigh boy hitting the Novak boy with a
stick and leaving him with a cut lip and two damaged front teeth. Apparently
the Novaks want the Raleigh boy to apologize, but Alan isn't sure if his son
realizes or cares about the need to do so.
The
conversation starts out stiffly but politely between these strangers, but as
the discussion continues and chance remarks are dropped, tension builds. Often
it is reflected in the expressions of the wives as they react negatively to
some comment by one of the men. Body language in all four characters also is
quite telling. Punctuating the discussion is the frequent ringing of Alan's
cell phone. A corporate attorney, he's working with a colleague to suppress
news that a drug made by one of their clients can have severe side effects. In
the meantime, Michael reveals his own brand of callousness by telling how he
released his daughter's hamster on the street. Then there are Annette's stomach
upsets and a bottle of rum. Nothing good can come of this, and nothing does as
tensions within each marriage and between the couples are revealed.
Since
Veronica is an art historian specializing in Africa, the exposed brick wall in Nina
Ball's set
designed is symbolically adorned with primitive art, complemented by Mike
Palumbo's
lighting. Meg Neville's costumes help to define the characters, while Cliff Caruthers' music and sound add to the
ambience.
The
play often is quite funny, but director Rilette uses restraint, relying on his
talented cast and allowing the humor to come through naturally rather than
resorting to slapstick or extreme physicality. The result is a thoroughly
satisfying production that makes for some interesting discussion on the drive
home.