San Jose City Lights Theater’s adaptation of the 2009 play “God of Carnage” is a witty, hilarious and eccentric portrayal of what it means to be a politically correct parent in modern society.
The original play was written by French satirist Yasmina Reza and won the 2009 Tony Award for Best Play.
The 90-minute play centers around four cultured, successful parents in present-day Brooklyn. The four sole characters of this minimalist play are Alan (Erik Gandolfi), his wife Annette (April Green), Michael (Avondina Wills) and Veronica (Karyn Rondeau).
The plot surrounds a visit that the couple Alan and Annette pay to their counterparts Michael and Veronica in their stylish apartment. The son of Alan and Annette and the son of Michael and Veronica get into a playground fight.
The initial meeting between the four parents start off harmonious, with each set of parents apologizing for their sons’ actions and hashing out the details of medical bills, counseling, etc.
Events take a comical and dramatic turn when the true essence of each character is revealed as the play continues.
Alan is a desk-bound corporate lawyer who feels compelled to take calls from his superiors every other minute instead of showing a vested interest in family matters. Annette tries her hardest to convey an easy-going demeanor but succumbs to stress-induced anxiety that causes a hilarious puke scene.
On the other side of the parental spectrum, Michael and Veronica embody the “hip but educated interracial couple” archetype that we often see heavily used in the media today. Michael is pragmatic, but ultimately has to wrestle with his own identity as a black man constantly taking orders from a well-meaning but pretentious Veronica.
Live audiences will surely appreciate the intimacy of the performance as the actors can be seen literally sweating from all their animated gestures and shouting. Green uses a series of top grade practical effects to portray a woman who’s own body is revolting to the stress she puts on it.
Avondina Wills shines in his South Bay acting debut, making Michael both a relatable and humorous character who is not afraid to compromise political correctness and embrace his true “inner blackness.”
“Well I’ve always loved projects like this because we get to work in a small theater. Small theaters allow you to get physically and spiritually close to the audience. I’ve done work in San Francisco and Berkeley [Repertory Theater] but this is my first time acting on this side of the hill,” Wills said.
The play does a tremendous job of critiquing the differences in generational parenting differences that create new tension in an age of liberal politics and unbound diversity.
Alan and Michael scoff at the mere idea of having a meeting to discuss their sons’ fight. Both men reminisce about their childhood days when young men formed gangs and resolved their quarrels with fists, not lawsuits.
Annette and Veronica try desperately to reign in the ‘machismo’ of their husbands but soon realize that they have been restraining their own temptations to speak and act unfiltered.
Audiences will watch this initially peaceful negotiation turn into a circus of puke, spilt wine, drunk housewives and the struggle between man and employer.
“God of Carnage” will continue its run at City Lights on 529 S. Second Street until Oct. 14.
5 out of 5 stars
