Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Mia Chung’s world premiere play CATCH AS CATCH CAN captures the fragility of family dynamics in a stylish, polished production

• By drediman
• November 2, 2018
• No Comments

Jeanine Serralles, Michael Esper, and Jeff Biehl in Page 73’s world premiere production of Mia Chung’s “Catch as Catch Can” at the New Ohio Theatre. Photo by Hunter Canning.

Earlier this week at the New Ohio Theatre in the West Village, I had the chance to take in the world premiere production of Mia Chung’s new play Catch as Catch Can, courtesy of Page 73. Page 73 is one of several Off-Broadway theater companies – along with the likes of Playwrights Horizons, Playwrights Realm, and Ensemble Studio Theatre – that specialize in providing the crucial service of giving emerging playwrights the producing infrastructure to most fully realize their works onstage. Thanks to Page 73, I’ve had the opportunity to get acquainted with some fascinating up-and-coming voices (like Clare Barron, whose superb Drama Desk-nominated You Got Older was nurtured by Page 73 a few seasons ago).

This brings us to Ms. Chung’s play, which has been given a polished, stylish staging by Ken Rus Schmoll. Catch as Catch Can tells the story of two close families, the Phelans and the Lavecchias, highlighting the fragility of inter- and intra-family dynamics. When Tim Phelan returns home and re-engages with his family and the Lavecchias, it seems at first that all is well; on the surface, Tim is handsome, well-adjusted, and engaged to be married. But as more is revealed about his situation, it becomes increasingly clear that psychologically, all is not well with him. In a series of carefully-observed scenes, Ms. Chung charts Tim’s quietly harrowing mental unraveling and its effect on those who love him.

For a new play by a relatively unknown playwright, Page 73 has been able to provide Ms. Chung with a pretty deluxe production. In addition to veteran Off-Broadway director Mr. Schmoll, Catch as Catch Can has secured a trio of very accomplished and well-credentialed stage actors for the play’s collage of roles. Indeed, one of the defining traits of the piece is that it has its three actors play multiple roles that fluidly cross age and gender. Happily, Michael Esper, Jeff Biehl, and Jeanine Serralles all happily sink their teeth into this challenge, producing skillful, sharply-drawn characterizations. Mr. Esper as Tim (among others), in particular, gives a heart-rending performance that pumped up my anxiety level.

RECOMMENDED

CATCH AS CATCH CAN
Off-Broadway, Play
Page 73 at the New Ohio Theatre
2 hours (with one intermission)
Through November 17