Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Michael McKeever’s AFTER efficiently, mechanically examines marriage, bullying, and gun culture

• By drediman
• March 19, 2019
• No Comments

Michael Frederic, Mia Matthews, Bill Phillips, Denise Cormier, and Jolie Curtsinger in Michael McKeever’s “After” at 59E59 Theaters (Theater A), a co-production with Penguin Repertory Theatre. Photo by John Quilty.

Last night, Michael McKeever’s new play After opened Off-Broadway at 59E59 Theaters, in a co-production with Penguin Repertory Theatre. On the surface, the work calls to mind Yasmina Reza’s Tony-winning play God of Carnage – as the play commences, we meet two couples who meet to debate over the potentially bullying nature of the relationship between their high school-aged sons.

However, as the play unfolds, its scope enlarges. Indeed, Mr. Mckeever’s play eventually brings several topical issues together – certainly bullying, but also the institution of marriage, parenting, and gun culture are intermingled in a mostly skillful manner. The play is divided into three segments – entitled “before”, “during”, and “after” – allowing the playwright to efficiently, if mechanically, develop and deliver his thematic arguments.

The production has been directed tightly by Joe Brancato, who places a premium on clarity over nuance. The acting is commendably solid, even if some of the portrayals come across as stock characters, which is perhaps rooted in the increasingly unambiguous nature of the text. Nonetheless, I came away feeling that After had important things to say about our current society, which it does with conviction and directness.

RECOMMENDED

AFTER
Off-Broadway, Play
Penguin Repertory Theatre at 59E59 Theaters (Theater A)
1 hour, 25 minutes (without an intermission)
Through xxx