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| Tina Chilip & Zachary Booth in "after all the terrible things I do" (photo: T. Charles Erickson) |
The title of Huntington Theatre Company's final production of this season, the New England premiere of “after all the terrible things I do”, might initially remind one of the literary efforts of archy and mehitabel (by e. e. cummings), but it's actually a reference to a work by gay poet (and Harvard grad) Frank O'Hara. His poem (entitled “Poem”) says: ”after all the terrible things I do, how amazing it is to find forgiveness and love”. Written by A. Rey Pamatmat, the play is the story of David (Zachary Booth) a recent college graduate who returns to his hometown and accepts a job at a store named “Books to the Sky” (described in the program as “an independent bookstore before and after business hours, in an average-sized, unremarkable Midwestern town”). It's run by a Filipino-American woman named Linda (Tina Chilip). While David is a young gay author of fiction struggling to find his voice, Linda is repressing some secrets about her own family. While things start out well, there's a moment when obvious friction threatens to upend their budding relationship. Each has stories to share about bullying and cruelty in their community, and the narratives are not what you'd expect.
The bullying is in large part related to the concept of
“American exceptionalism”. Our society encourages and rewards
winners in competition who defeat others, proving that the losers are
not the best they could be, and never will be. They share a catharsis
that the author has stated reminds him of authentic yoga where one
strives to reach the ultimate goal of peace and balance, connecting
with one's core self amid the disappointments and distractions of the
external world. There's typically a moment in his plays, he also has
commented, when a character reaches a catharsis that's essentially a
shared experience between people of differing perspectives, based on
the character's self-realization that there are worldly illusions to
which one shouldn't attach. In about a hundred intermission-less
minutes, the playwright explores finding that aforementioned
forgiveness and love, as well as second chances, in an environment
that's not as cozy and comfortable as it first appears. By the time
some withheld secrets are revealed, the work asks whether there exist
any truly unforgivable acts, and if there's any hope for the people
who perform them.
As with any brief two-hander, this play is almost by
definition dialogue-heavy. It's to the credit of Director Peter
Dubois, the company's Artistic Director, that the interchange between
these characters goes so smoothly and swiftly. Both Booth and Chilip
are mesmerizing, individually and together. Their dialogue feels
natural even when it threatens to become a bit purple, given that
both are presented as unusually literate and articulate. The
technical aspects of the production are stunning, from the Scenic and
Costume Design by Clint Ramos (a beautifully complex set as opposed
to his recent simple design for Trinity Rep's “Melancholy Play”),
to the striking Lighting Design by Lap Chi Chu, to the effective
Sound Design by M. L. Dogg.
And what about those issues of forgiveness and hope?
Pamatmat wisely raises questions without providing pat resolutions.
His writing is often both compelling and beautiful, leaving the
audience to experience not only some unexpected directions but also
some open-ended decisions. It's rare these days to find a new work as
engrossing as this, with such perceptive thought and expression. The
term “riveting” may be an over-utilized word, but it's an
accurate description of this playwright's work, which challenges our
sometimes simplistic assumptions about the scourge of bullying. By
the end of this play, audiences should find themselves with a view
that's more intricate and nuanced, as the characters take inventory
not just with respect to the items for sale, but take stock of
themselves as well. “Books to the Sky” indeed.
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