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The question to ask, when presented with a story and its characters, laughter, tragedies and success becomes, “Do you believe?”
If you have to ask that question time and time again throughout a single play, you might have a problem.
The Vortex’s newest production of Sam Shepard’s play “Curse of the Starving Class” comprises many moments, both good and bad.
From the very beginning, it is difficult to sort out the play’s absurdity from the production’s attempts at human reliability.
The angle is extremely straightforward: poverty sucks. It focuses on a family of four and occasional invasions from the world beyond.
“Times are tough,” the play muses. “But it could be worse.”
Unfortunately, getting through portions of the play can be just as tough.
Straight out the gate, the production drags. Both pacing and energy are low and empathy for the characters is strained.
As dialogue falls naturally into place, pacing returns, only to be lost again under a haze of poor staging and awkward line delivery.
Catherine Hughes’ portrayal of Ella zips strangely from quiet, engrossing elegance to stiff, drab deliveries. Her character gains delightful interest and momentum, begging to be the soul of the play, but then vanishes behind dragging verbal rhythm and confusing character choices.
Rick Huff’s lawyer fares similarly, swinging an enjoyably potent sleaze that makes his ability impressive, if inconsistent.
The play is structured poorly for two acts: the first is far too long and the second shockingly quick. The crashing bond of goofy, yet evidently heartfelt tragedy occurs so suddenly in the final moments, it’s a wonder it took so long to get there.
Alex Wasson and Caroline Graham seem to struggle with their parts, portraying Wesley and Emma respectively. Wasson moves along with mute sarcasm and stabs at the difficult transition of becoming his father.
Graham seems to play three entirely different characters in her extended performances: hopping on chairs like a childish satyr in the opening, then shuffling bravado like John Wayne in the middle, and finally pronouncing slickly her intention to become a romantic, avenging criminal in the last.
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John Wylie does, however, kill it as Weston, the drunken, redemptive patriarch. Wylie’s mastery of his character is evident and deep. Father is powerfully self-destructive and immediately recognizable.
The first slow grind up is during the play’s opening, which seems to mark the actor’s speech with vaguely southern accents. It slowly becomes clear the setting is intended to be California. The props and set are evidently modern, though textual hints seem far more entrenched in the 20th century. The portrayal of economic turmoil is certainly a cyclically familiar one, but riding too many possibilities makes the message muddy as opposed to universal.
Small details, however, are cultivated, with actual cooking, running water and a live animal making appearances.
The play’s odd tragedy comes early in the perplexing climax, introducing two new characters who appear more like jesters than Mafiosos.
Ed Chavez’s floppy cop and ridiculous gangster lack authority and realism, leading to speculation that he was cast for comic relief.
Nick Ganjei smiles and eats some things, that’s about it.
By and large, the play’s wooden qualities lack the humanity the production so desperately wants to depict. The all-important immersion is difficult to find when belief is spread too lightly to take and appreciate.
Curse of the Starving Class
By Sam Shepard
Directed by Lauren Dusek Albonico
The Vortex Theatre
2004 Central Ave. S.E.
Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.
Sundays at 2 p.m.
Runs through Oct. 20
$18 general
$12 students with ID.
Visit “vortexabq.org”:http://www.vortexabq.org or call 247-8600 to make reservations.
