THE HANGOVER REPORT – The Civilians explore death and mortality in THE UNDERTAKING in typical inquisitive style at BAM

Dan Domingues and the delightful Irene Lucio in "The Undertaking" at BAM

Dan Domingues and the delightful Irene Lucio in “The Undertaking” at BAM

Back at the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Next Wave Festival, I recently caught The Civilians’ latest piece, The Undertaking. I’ve been a fan of the company’s distinctive brand of investigative theater (their shows are typically pieced together through a series of interviews with people with expertise in the topic being covered) since their sweet and moving Gone Missing at the Barrow Street Theatre nearly a decade ago about things, you got it, gone missing. I was also a big fan of their hysterical and joyous Pretty Filthy two seasons ago, their Drama Desk-nominated musical celebrating the porn industry. In The Undertaking, The Civilians delve into more serious territory – death and mortality.

If this latest show doesn’t quite have the entertainment value of Gone Missing or especially Pretty Filthy, The Undertaking finds the company in unusually personal, and therefore vulnerable territory. You see, in this show, artistic director Steve Cosson – who has written and directed most of The Civilians’ shows to date, including this one – is himself one of the primary characters in the play. As a result, and given the heavy and irresolvable subject matter, The Undertaking takes on a more rambling, less pointed, shape in its inquisition. The multiple characters are played with considerable precision by a cast two, comprised of Dan Domingues (who skillfully plays Mr. Cosson, among others) and the delightful Irene Lucio (so endearing as Lydia, Mr. Cosson’s primary interviewee).

RECOMMENDED

 

THE UNDERTAKING
Off-Broadway, Play
The Civilians at BAM Fisher
1 hour, 15 minutes (without an intermission)
Through September 25

Categories: Off-Broadway, Theater

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