On Theater: Pitched battle of wits on Newport stage in ‘God of Carnage’
With the notable exception of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” few plays in modern times have matched two couples, demanding that each actor be at the peak of his or her game, in a pitched battle of wits, words and attitudes quite so efficiently as Yasmin Reza’s “God of Carnage.”
This devastating dramatic comedy, now on stage at the Newport Theatre Arts Center, has been around the local block, but it’s a welcome sight with each incarnation. The Newport production, brilliantly and imaginatively directed by Phyllis Gitlin, is squarely and powerfully on the mark.
Reza’s biting prose, translated from the original French by Christopher Hampton, concerns two New York couples gathered for a peacekeeping mission after the 10-year-old son of one pair struck the child of the other with a stick, knocking out two teeth. This much is agreed upon by both sets of parents.
What ensues, however, is an intermission-free, 90-minute harangue between the disparate couples — the hosts are a wholesaler of hardware and his globally conscious writer wife, the guests a high-ticket lawyer seemingly glued to his cellphone and his perpetually physically ill spouse. With bloodletting dialogue and occasional physical conflict, these couples tear up the stage with vigor.
Gitlin has assembled a powerful ensemble. All four of her performers deliver with unrestrained gusto. However, one actress must be singled out for her singular accomplishment.
This would be Tiffany Berg as the hostess, poisoning the air with her passive-aggressive demeanor. She joins the physical combat when required, but her principal weapons are words, venomously delivered, and outsize reactions to the most insignificant slight. It’s a devastating performance from a highly skilled actress.
David Colley as her wholesaler husband fashions himself as the arbitrator who can soothe the rancor. But it’s not long before he too becomes involved in the high-rise trench warfare. Another sterling performance.
His opposite number, the father of the “little savage,” is solidly portrayed by Thom Gilbert as an attorney constantly in telephonic touch with his client, which drives his wife (and the other couple) to distraction. His attitude ranges from cool to downright cold as he divides his attention frustratingly.
His wife, beautifully enacted by Michelle Miller-Day, is the most vulnerable of the four, upchucking on stage after sampling the hosts’ dessert treat. Hers is the most relatable character and becomes the most natural performance of the lot.
The physical and mental conflict is played out on the attractive apartment setting designed by Andrew Otero. Joni Stockinger’s contrasting costumes also help define the characters.
One unsettling note is the show’s abrupt ending, possibly suggesting that nothing is, or ever will be, resolved. It does seem to come out of the blue, however.
“God of Carnage” is a masterful account of conflicting attitudes, carried to and beyond society’s limits by a superb cast at the Newport Theatre Arts Center.
*
IF YOU GO
What: “God of Carnage”
When: 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays until Dec. 11
Where: Newport Theatre Arts Center, 2501 Cliff Drive, Newport Beach
Cost: $17
Information: (949) 631-0288
