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If At First You Don\'t Succeed...
by
Samuel the Fourth reviewed October 30, 2004
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These days, it is everywhere in the media, from the Star Wars movies to the evening news, but Dramatics NYC’s production of Samuel the Fourth is not interested in politicizing the idea of cloning. Samuel the Fourth, by Northwestern graduate Maria Ferrari, is the story of Samuel (Amos Crawley), who is the clone of the son that his parents, Margaret (Allison Crain) and Gregory (Larry “Rock” Kolber ), have lost three times. The first Samuel died in an accident when he was just a toddler and the second and third Samuels committed suicide because they were both bored with their lives.
Samuel the Fourth, who is Margaret and Gregory's current Samuel, lives, literally, in a room in his parents’ house alongside the three other ghostly versions of himself that no one else can see. There is Samuel I, a two-year-old portrayed as a puppet being pulled along by an actor; Samuel II also known as Howard (Patrick Blumer, with a self-inflicted bullet hole in his forehead) who is a college graduate bored working in a 50s diner; and Samuel the III, a 70s drag queen who calls herself Zelda (Eli Kranski, complete with on-purpose-overdose syringe still in her arm). The three adult Samuels (young Samuel excluded), banter throughout much of the play, causing a distressed number four to be put on house arrest by his overwrought mother, unwilling to lose her son again.
There are some good performances here: Larry “Rock” Kolber is understated but strong as Gregory, still haunted by the loss of his first Samuel and growing weary as he and his wife deal with their fourth. Chad Kessler is pitch perfect in his portrayal of numerous characters, including an annoyed neighbor and a diner employee. The sound design by Jeremy Wilson is seamless, bringing in catchy pop songs that help to break the tension between scenes. Many of the show’s laughs come from easy gags, such as the sight of Kessler in drag, and are offset with black humor. A diner coworker, for example, finds the body of Samuel II, only after a long day of working. When asked why it took him so long to discover the corpse, he shrugs and says, “I guess the people wanted their milkshakes, sir.”
The actors do the best they can with the material, which often gets close to dealing with deeper issues but then shies away. The play lightly touches on issues of gender politics, the ethics of cloning, or the idea of nature versus nurture, before switching to cheap humor. This back-and-forth makes it appear as if this show was unsure about whether it wanted to be a comedy that entertains or a comedy that makes you think. Of any larger concept, the only one that gets significant attention is the one of suicide and what drives people to do it, but it is delivered as a monologue by Zelda that comes off ringing of melodrama. The other Samuels, acting as the Greek chorus, discuss their own suicides and urge Samuel the Fourth to live his life a different way. Despite able direction from Jesse Greiger and actors who are game for the material, no one leaves the show contemplating anything greater than whether that drag queen really was played by a guy.
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Sanford Meisner Theatre
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Category: Comedy
Written by: Maria Ferrari
Directed by: Jesse Geiger
Produced by: Dramatics NYC
Opened: October 29, 2004
Closed: November 13, 2004
Running Time: 80 minutes
Theater: Sanford Meisner Theatre
Address: 164 11th Ave.
New York, NY 10011
Yahoo! Maps Directions
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Tickets: $15.00
2 for 1 tickets available for industry professionals at the door on Monday, Nov. 1st
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Creative Team
Written by: Maria Ferrari
Directed by: Jesse Greiger
Produced by: Dramatics NYC
Light Designer: Christopher Chambers
Sound Designer: Jeremy Wilson
Set Designer: Matthew Allar
Costume Designer: Kimberly Matela
Choreographer: Anne Posluszny (for puppet)
(Other artistic personnel)
Cast
Anthony Bagnetto (Young Samuel), Patrick Blumer (Howard), Allison Crain (Margaret), Amos Crawley (Samuel), Chad Kessler (Bill, Chad and others), Larry “Rock” Kolber (Gregory) and Eli Kranski (Zelda)
Crew
Production Manager:
Stage Manager: Amber Estes
(other crew)
J. J. Janas and Rob Greene - hair and makeup
Rome Brown- Asst stage manager
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