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Regional Reviews: Washington, D.C. Babbitt Also see Susan's review of Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground
Director Christopher Ashley, who originated this production at California's La Jolla Playhouse, sets the action on Walt Spangler's austere, pure-white, two-story set, which suggests a library with its rows of bookshelves. Cha See's lighting design sets up changes of scene with washes of vibrant color and focused bars of neon when needed. Broderick is now 62 but retains his boyish charm as Babbitt, a successful real estate agent in the fictional Midwestern town of Zenith. He loves his wife Myra (Ann Harada), adores his baby daughter Tinka (Ali Stroker), and tries to persuade his teenage son Ted (Chris Myers) to go to college instead of taking a job as a mechanic. In DiPietro's adaptation and Ashley's direction, Babbitt is a man who thinks he stands behind his beliefs but will easily change them if that gives him an advantage. He finds security in his possessions and, at first, decries the "foreigners" and others threatening what he sees as the American way of life. (He's angry with teachers, who preach "dangerous ideas" while also teaching "old-fashioned bunk" like studying Shakespeare's plays). For him, everything is transactional, no matter how important any particular thing might be. What Broderick adds is a guilelessness that disarms those around him; his actions may upset some people, but on the whole it's impossible to stay angry with him. Judy Kaye amuses in a succession of roles including Babbitt's secretary, a wealthy and worldly wife, and a New Age spiritualist, while Harada brings heart as well as humor as his long-suffering wife. Nehal Joshi as Babbitt's longtime friend, Mara Davi as a supposed "dream girl," and Matt McGrath as a pompous college classmate of Babbitt also get their important moments. Linda Cho's costume design also helps create the characterizations, such as the overdone opulence of a rich visiting couple and the proto-hippie wear of a group of young bohemians. Babbitt runs through November 3, 2024, at Shakespeare Theatre Company, Harman Hall, 610 F St. NW, Washington DC. For tickets and information, please call 202-547-1122 or 877-487-8849 or visit www.shakespearetheatre.org. By Joe DiPietro Cast: |
