Earlier this month I caught one of the final performances of the British import "Enron," which had a unfairly brief run on Broadway. While the play is not perfect, it was creative, engaging and original. Unquestionably, it deserved to find an audience. The fact that it closed just a little more than a week after opening was quite baffling to me. Further baffling to me (and likely related to the show's quick demise) was the show's failure to secure a Best Play Tony nomination. I found "Enron" to be of much higher quality than at least 3 of the 4 nominees in that category, and felt it was on par with the 4th and best of the this year's nominees ("Red").
So what gives? Some are speculating that the show was too critical of the US. Others speculate that a play with a serious theme cannot find a home on Broadway today. Hopefully, neither theory is correct. I believe that "Enron" could have a had a healthy off-Broadway run (the Public would have been an ideal venue for this show), and may have been able to parlay that into a successful run on Broadway. Perhaps there is validity to the view that plays with a serious theme need some sort of buzz generating run in the US to ensure success on a Broadway stage. Whatever the reason for "Enron" (the play's) failure, I found myself fortunate to catch the show before it closed, thereby saving me from having to fly to London to see it where it is still enjoying a successful run on the West End.
Good fortune also shined on me during a recent trip to Chicago where I was able to experience theatrical genius in Steppenwolf's Theater recent production of Tarell Alvin McCraney's brilliant trilogy "The Brother/Sister Plays" directed by Tina Landau. Last fall, I saw the trilogy at the Public in New York, where one of the three plays was also directed by Ms. Landau. I was extremely impressed with the plays and the Public production, but the Steppenwolf production was far superior in almost every respect. Ms. Landau greatly improved "In The Red & Brown Water," which she also directed at the Public, and her take on the other two plays that form the trilogy ("Brothers Size" and "Marcus; Or The Secret of Sweet") was nothing less than mesmerizing. Of course, she was greatly aided by an amazing cast with particular standout performances given by Alana Arenas, K. Todd Freeman, Ora Jones, and Jacqueline Williams. Truly, the hard working ensemble cast in this show provided a rare theatrical experience. And as for young playwright McCraney, after "Wig Out" and "The Brother/Sister Plays," he is well on his way to becoming the most exciting and talented playwright to emerge from this new century. Bravo.
