 | | | From left: Jacquie Duckworth, Derrick Silva, Henry Perkins, and Suzie Shepard. Photo Stu Selland | | | | | | Civilization may give us polish, but contemporary playwright Yasmina Reza shows us that underneath it all, humans are torn with frustration and pain that can erupt into violence. Set in a city that could easily be San Francisco, New York, or Paris (Reza is French), the play is the humorous story of what happens to us when the "God of Carnage" arises and the veneer falls away.
"God of Carnage" tells the story of parents from two civilized families - the Novaks and the Raleighs - who meet to discuss an altercation that occurred between their two 11-year-old sons, resulting in one of them losing front teeth. The meeting takes place in the Novaks' living room and soon turns into a fight between families and sexes. Alan Raleigh (played by Derrick Silva) is a business lawyer, his wife Annette (Jacquie Duckworth) is a wealth manager; Michael Novak (Henry Perkins) owns a wholesale hardware company, his wife Veronica (Suzie Shepard) writes books about Africa.
Alan keeps responding to business calls; Annette vomits after being lectured by Veronica, who turns on her own husband; the foursome reproducing the violence that engulfed their children.
The humor comes from the way the play is constructed: the gradual deterioration of the relationships; Reza's understanding of human character; and the slight caricature of the participants who are reminiscent of people we all know.
Director Susan Hovey, who previously produced "The Graduate" for Town Hall Theatre, and who also directs at Contra Costa Civic Theatre and Tri-Valley Repertory Theatre, says, "This play is about parents, and marriage, and adulthood. The play shows the inner battle between the savage instincts that you have to control and the civil decency that you have to rein in so you don't sound phony. And everyone can relate to that." She adds that the comic aspect of the play comes from the difference between where the characters start and where they end up.
The team had only five weeks to put the play together, and a few days before opening night the tempo still needed tightening, especially at the beginning. Alan's constant phone interruptions were not marked enough, maybe because there were no sound effects, and the actor was sometimes hard to understand. The women were already at the top of their game, wonderfully energetic and funny, losing control with flair.
The short play (1 hour and 10 minutes, with no intermission) will make you laugh; it is a superb opportunity for intelligent entertainment.
"God of Carnage" runs from Feb. 22 to March 15 at Town Hall Theatre at the corner of Moraga Road and School Street in Lafayette. For tickets, contact the Town Hall Theatre Box Office at (925) 283-1557, or purchase online at www.TownHallTheatre.com.
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA