N/A
by Mario Correa
Starring Holland Taylor and Ana Villafañe
Directed by Diane Paulus
Mitzi Newhouse Theatre at Lincoln Center
Official Website
Reviewed by David Spencer
If your theatrical desire can be satisfied by seeing see two profoundly talented actresses uncannily channel the essential physicality and personae of two current important and controversial beltway players, then by all means, stop reading now and book your tickets for N/A. If, however, your desire is to see an actual play about them…perhaps you should read further.
Playwright Mario Correa’s two-hander is about the clash between theatrical avatars named by initials, but we know that N (Holland Taylor), is “really” Nancy Pelosi, a savvy veteran of decades, Speaker of the House; and A (Ana Villafañe) is “really” Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. And the clash, when you get right down to it…is about styles. N is a cautious, highly strategic three-dimensional chess player; A is a firebrand, who believes the time is long past to make bolder moves toward bolder reforms and nurturing younger energy and support.
They’re both on the same side. Basically.
This doesn’t mean the play is entirely without conflict. In the manner of Shavian dialectic, the two have much to discuss and spar about, with a healthy amount of pointed quips along the way (most of them N’s, which stands to reason; she’s the one who’s “seen it all” and survived). But it’s less about What Needs to be Achieved than How We Get There. And as they get to know each other, there are degrees of “give” and accommodation—alongside core feelings that don’t change much at all. (Nor can they: These characters may be presented as avatars, but because we all know who they are, and because they’re both still very much in the public eye, there’s no alternate universe fantasy to pursue. At best, this belongs to the category of speculation plays; usually “What might have happened if these two historical figures met?”; but in this case, “What might their interplay have been like—what might it currently be?”
The actresses are sensational; it takes almost no time before you’re pretty well convinced you’re watching Pelosi and AOC themselves. The direction, by Diane Paulus, is agreeably understated and efficient. N/A is never dull.
But it’s not always as compelling as The West Wing or The Best Man either; there’s simply not enough event, not enough story—even internal story—to fill it. However…that may not be what’s needed now. As a decent little diversion, N/A can only benefit from and ride the wave of the Harris/Walz upswing uniting the party—which as of this writing, is still new and invigorating. And that may make it worth your while.