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A CurtainUp Review
Assassin
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"The game is about fucking people up."— Frank Lucas
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Dwayne A. Thomas and Brian Anthony Wilson
(Photo credit: Seth Rozin) |
Assassin, which is nothing like the acted-out essay it first appears to be, quickly becomes a twisty ride that turns through discoveries, irony, and exposure. For starters, the tale begins as former football star Frank Lucas waits for former football player Lyle Turner to arrive for a meeting. But the man who shows up isn't Lyle. It's his lawyer.
Frank (Brian Anthony Wilson) and Lewis, the lawyer (Dwayne A. Thomas) discuss a proposed televised meeting of Frank and Lyle, a "reunion of the legends" at an upcoming Super Bowl post-game show. Motivations for this meeting, some perhaps unconscious and some less than candid, range from deep need to earnest concern to callous self-interest.
Frank is loose; Lewis is uptight. Under the direction of Seth Reichgott, Dwayne Thomas holds his own in the tough and uneasy Lewis role, hitting all the marks that need to be hit. Wilson, a suitably big guy, is Frank the football assassin who hates the new rules aimed at attenuating football violence. "The game is about fucking people up." With lightning changes from Mr. Friendly Guy, to troubled soul, to scary, and back again, Wilson is nothing short of mesmerizing.
Humor's in the mix too. The Assassin doesn't know what to make of a black man who claims that his all-time football hero is Terry Bradshaw.
The engine under the action is fueled not only by the legitimate passions unleashed, but also, regrettably, by the contrivance of on-cue and not entirely credible drinking, aimed at getting the characters where they need to be quickly enough to act on their impulses and connect with each other in stage time. But speeded-up drinking happens a lot in dramas both good and bad. And this one is good.
Frank and Lewis discover each other's demons and face their own illusions as their stories emerge, converge, and diverge both in the larger context of sports violence and within the confines of a bland, standard hotel room meticulously designed by Dirk Durossette.
InterAct's potent and timely production of Assassin commands attention. In an amazingly apropos coincidence, the NFLPA has just announced their $100 million grant for the brand new Harvard Integrated Program to Protect and Improve the Health of professional football players. I guess our guy, Frank Lucas, won't like that much.
Assassinby David Robson
Directed by Seth Reichgott
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Cast: Brian Anthony Wilson, Dwayne A. Thomas
Set Design: Dirk Durossette Lighting Design: James Leitner Sound Design: Ashley Turner Costume Design: Maggie Baker Jan 18 – Feb 10. Opening Jan 23, 2013, a co-production with Act II Playhouse. 80 minutes Reviewed by Kathryn Osenlund based on 01/18 performance at the Adrienne Theater, 2030 Sansom Street. |
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