By Bart Greenberg***Veteran actor Barry Primus has applied his knowledge and experience in the theater to write a backstage comedy-drama, Soup in the Second Act, now playing at the Theater for the New City. He was able to cast a group of excellent actors, and gave each of them their own moments to shine. And shine they do, especially leading man Kip Gilman. Unfortunately, Primus also chose to direct the play himself, and so the production lacked a second pair of eyes that would have helped develop the work more effectively.
The plot involves a low-rent national tour of an unnamed play on its last legs. Despite the fact that the play in question was a hit on Broadway, the marketing of it sounds pretty pretentious and dreary; understandably audiences are staying away. The major blizzard going on outside may have something to do with it as well. The leading man (Gilman) evidently had a name sometime in the past until he drank it all away; the acerbic leading lady (Dey Young) starred in some films at some point; the character woman (Lisa Passero) headlined a musical television show still remembered by her fans; and the character actor (Paul Coates) constantly reminds everyone that he was featured on “Medical Center” for five years, which he believes gives him enough training to play doctor with his colleague’s health woes. Another actor (Equiano Mosieri) spends most of his time in his dressing room worrying over his sick dog , largely ignored in the plot. The self-important stage manager (Connor Stewart) is obsessed with having one more performance for a busload of disabled children who keep winding up in ditches.
These characters are all damaged, with few relationships outside the theater. The gay and charming Austin does have a partner, unseen. Rene has recently lost her mother and has not been able to clean out her possessions from their shared apartment. Both are written with some depth and Coates and Passero bring them vividly to life, sharing charming musical moments and amusing themselves and the others during down time. Stewart does what he can with the pointless dog lover role, showing flare with a monologue from the play within the play suggesting potential untapped by the script.
Young is exellent in the complicated role of Barbara, an edgy, bitter and combative actress who carryies a torch for her leading man and on and off lover. Young finds a great deal of humanity hidden below the surface of the character. Mosieri does very well as the driven stage manager, finding a balance of innocence and arrogance, and handles a strange flash forward toward the end of the evening with all the intelligence he can. But it is Gilman who dominates the stage as the former stud who everyone still dotes on, the struggling alcoholic with an estranged son and a long history of blond cashiers. His is a brave, honest performance that brings the audience into every moment he is on stage.
There are some lovely moments in this production: an impromptu musicale; a shared meal played mostly in silence as the cast eavesdrops on the stage manager’s phone calls; and a post-coitus conversation that shifts from sweetness to acid. But yet these highlights don’t disguise the flaws in the overlong production: an unnecessary intermission; the sick dog subplot that has no impact on the play; too many blackouts instead of punctuating lines to end scenes or lighting shifts transition between scenes; and clarification of the conflict between Austin and Warren.
Julie Arenal served as assistant director and choreographer. Mark Marcante provided the attractive set, well lit by Alexandr Bartenieff. Bill Waters and Sam Wiek served as mostly silent stage hands who were worked into the script.
Soup in the Second Act runs through October 20th at the Theater for the New City, 155 First Avenue, NYC. Tickets may be purchased via ci.ovationtix.com or at the box office.
Photos by Jonathan Slaff
