Stunning- by David Adjmi
- Directed by Anne Kauffman
- Produced by Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
- Reviewed by guest reviewer Joy Jones
I was hyped when I heard about the plot for Stunning. Here it comes, I thought, one of Woolly’s trademark edgy and unconventional plays that is disturbing in a good way. It’s described as a story about a young woman, cloistered in her Syrian-Jewish community in Brooklyn, NY, who gets exposed to new ideas and challenging realities when an African American maid comes to work for her. The synopsis was like the savory smell of a spicy dish I couldn’t wait to sample.
Instead, I got cartoon characters, dead-end plot twists and a disappointing ending. This was a case where the menu was more appetizing than the meal.The Syrian-Jewish residents of New York are insular to the extreme. There is an edict that makes intermarriage utterly taboo – even converts and their children are not accepted as members of the tribe. So what would happen if someone decided to challenge those strictures?
Stunning’s protagonist, Lily, appears as if she might attempt that, but that story doesn’t get told in its fullest intensity. Lily got tricked into marriage at age sixteen, has a lesbian affair, steals from her husband who is failing in business – all things that could stir the pot something fierce – but somehow it doesn’t build to an exciting boil. Blanche, the African American maid who pulls Lily into turmoil, has a mysterious past. Blanche presents herself as a Ph.D and has the vocabulary and highbrow reading habits to back it up – yet she works as a domestic. It would be intriguing to get the backstory on that – but no, we don’t get much detail on that story, either. Blanche and Lily’s husband hate each other’s guts – and they do have a fight, yet it doesn’t ring true.
Playwright David Adjmi does not fully explore the psychology of any of these kinks or curiosities in his characters. The personalities of the play were too simplified and exaggerated for me to make an emotional connection with them. There were funny moments and harsh confrontations but they weren’t wielded in a way that made me care. I have seen sitcom characters drawn with more depth and less predictability, and TV movies that had much more thoughtfully rendered and deliciously twisted plots.
The actors, however, are talented. Despite the pallid flavor of the script, Laura Heisler and Quincy Tyler Berstine have considerable comic presence.
It seems Adjmi had compelling threads of plot and story from which he shrank back from giving full expression. Perhaps as a member of the Syrian-Jewish community, he is too close to the culture to be able to step back and connect the dots for a more layered and thorough treatment. All the ingredients were present but the dish never quite gelled.
Stunning left me starving for something more.
- When: Thru April 6
- Where: Woolly Mammoth Theatre, 641 D Street NW, Washington, DC 20004
- Tickets: $24-57
- Info: 202-383-3939 or http://www.woollymammoth.net/
– Joy Jones is a poet, playwright and educator. She is author of ‘Tambourine Moon’ and ‘Private Lessons: A Book of Meditations for Teachers’. Her latest play, In Search of Tonto Goldstein, co-authored with Linda Hopper, opens March 31st in New York as part of the Femme-tastic play festival
this play has been picked up by lincoln center!! huge coup for wooly and congrat to the artists involved!
“The Girls”, mygranddaughter age 16,my daughter age 48 and I age 80 recently were in DC for spring break from COlorado. We saw “Stunning” one night and were impressed. We talked about it over and over. The sets, music, pace were great. The actors were impressive. So, we didn’t find out every detail of their past – I think I got a good picture of who they were.How could all of that be included? I think it would be boring and not necessary. We found it very funny and very sad.
Saw the final show last night. the audience was on its feet. This is the finest show i have seen at the woolly mammoth. Period. Tore my heart out. Spoke to one of the actors after the show who said there is serious talk of it moving to New York.
Saw it last night and loved it. The characters begin as caricatures, but even as broad stereotypes they are interesting. And every single one develops.
The plot is not Crash or Magnolia or one of these cheesy story lines where everything is neatly woven together in the end. There are a lot of unanswered questions. It left me turning scenes over in my head again and again and trying to make sense of what had happened. I like when something provokes questions.
O MAN O MAN SLIP SLAP JEHOVAH FAT
It seemed pretty clear to me that Rich (Rick??) was Blanche’s stepfather who abused her pretty bad — this was made mention of in the play several times. We don’t know what Blanche went to jail for – it was never made clear. I think the author left some of the details purposefully unclear, because it isn’t really important what Blanche did; it doesn’t affect the basic story that this person has been through hell, and is trying to reinvent her life but can’t do it anymore. Her history is too screwed up to fix or change (my favorite line in the play “history repeats like a bad case of reflux”).
I caught the play last Sunday night and it is one of the best things I have seen in DC, and I’ve lived here for six years. May not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I found it scary and hilarious and brilliant.
I would recommend others go see “Stunning.” Parts were funny, serious, and sad. There was nothing “edgy” or “provocative” or any of those other blah, blah descriptions. Stunning it wasn’t, but it was some good drama with a little history, interspersed with typical human nastiness. Miss Bernstine did a good take on the “Blanche” intellectual funny lady-deep lady-tormented lady. Miss Heisler did some good teenage babble, and made it annoying, as most teenage babble is. And yet I could feel her sense of having been betrayed as she “grew up.” I could see her eyes well up with pain. I felt sorry for the girl. Mr Goodfriend’s “Ike” went from comical antics in trying to be street hip when talking to Blanche, and yelling “Step away from the bowl!” to menacing yelling at everybody, to baffling himself after his physical row with Blanche. However, either I missed some things, or the author didn’t connect the dots. For example, Blanche was in jail? For what? Fraud? Blanche tells Lily she got most of the money back (eight grand). Back from whom? Some unsavory person in her past? Blanche is confronted by Ike who accuses her of never completing high school. What was Blanche up to all this time? Doing time? Conning? Ike accuses Blanche of causing him to lose his job. She replies she has only been to his office once. For what? What was Blanche’s connection to “Rick?” Rick was obviously dodgy, but we don’t know any more than that,or her connection to him.
The sound and lighting design for “Stunning”? Now THAT was stunning!
What I love about this play is how much it stirs up people’s emotions…no one seems to be indifferent to it. Isn’t that what great art does? I saw the play last night and CAN NOT STOP THINKING ABOUT IT.
In terms of the credentials of the reviewer: come on people, it is an internet site, not the New York Times!!! Anyone can start a website like this. Is it a poorly written review? Yes. But what do you expect?
the review was very kind. five minutes into the play the author had no idea where it was going. the only thing demonstrated was the author’s hostility to the subject.
Well, OK, I question her review because:
1. it originally contained an incredibly inappropriate comment calling an actor “eye candy” and lumping that praise of him in with the general laud for the acting. That got cut early on, which clouds our debate a bit (not knowing who cut it), but to me it undercuts her credibility.
2. the criticism about not getting enough backstory and (apparently) finding subsequent conflicts and plot points ineffective is a shaky criticism at best (Harold Pinter gives the lie to it being a statement of theatrical fact) and for me a particularly suspect one coming from a playwright. If I wrote a review of someone else’s direction I would consider myself subject to a higher standard of objectivity even than the norm to make sure that I wasn’t falling into a “how I would have done it.” I suppose this might be why the critics don’t work in theatrical production.
Much as we would enjoy that! [grin]
It seems this is one case where this reviewer misses the mark about the play. I saw the play last week and was pretty dazzled. So were most other crtics. I guess it is all subjective, but I can’t say I am terribly impressed by the quality of the writing of this review, however. As for arguing with Ms. Jones, there is little point to that as she speaks in muddy generalities, or as another respondant put it ‘cooking metaphors’. Just my honest opinion. In an event, this is an important new play by an important young American playwright; that seems clear.
OOOOOOO SLAM slippidy Shim shap sizzle
‘More Voices. More Choices’ is more than a slogan to me. It is my opinion that DCTS is doing a service to our readers when we ask people to give their perspective on a piece of work.
It is one thing to disagree with the opinions of the reviewer. We encourage that from anyone who has actually seen the play. Shared opinions lend themselves to a helpful dialogue.
But that isn’t what we have here. Instead we have had a litany of guesses – bad ones at that – about the integrity of the reviewer and her writing credentials.
Joy Jones is a respected author. Her plays have been produced. Her books have been published. Her writing ability is above question. We have been pleased to have her as a guest reviewer.
If you have seen Stunning, and agree or disagree with her conclusions, let’s discuss.
Lorraine Treanor, Editor
In seach of tonto GOLDSTEIN?!?! WTF? Why are you reviewing plays?
Seems to me reviewers oftimes provide unflattering reviews because controversy sells much more than glowing accolades. Thus explains the reason for the harsh nature of this review. I just hope the venom you use to describe your colleage’s (Mr. Adjmi) work hasn’t spilled over into your personal life. Otherwise, I feel more sorry for you than I did for Blanche. Ciao.
So, um…. Go watch lifetime or a friends re-run. Do u even like theater? Or maybe you’re a failed actress. Cause u sure are bitter.
OOOOOO Snipidy Snap!
Wow, you are really into cooking metaphors.
Maybe in your next review you might serve up a dish that is a little less overcooked and a little better written/thought out?