Daddy--Bizarre and Disturbing
   
       By Joseph Cervelli

"Daddy" the bizarre but never dull new play by Jeremy O. Harris ("Slave Play") presented by The New Group and The Vineyard Theatre at the Pershing Square Signature Center is bewildering. There are moments when you believe you really know where Harris wants to go and then by the third act (the play could easily have been condensed into two) you are confounded. The road he is taking us on suddenly takes a sharp curve leading us into new territory that takes us out of what has transpired.

Franklin (a superb Ronald Peet) is a young, aspiring African-American artist who meets the wealthy art collector Andre (an equally excellent Alan Cumming) in a club and immediately moves in Andre's luxurious Bel Air home complete (set designer Matt Saunders) with a swimming pool which is frequently used. The pool seems to play a symbolic role in the play though what exactly is not completely clear although one thinks of a kind of rebirth although that is never clearly  delineated.

Franklin's two friends Max (Tommy Dorfman) and Bellamy (Kahyun Kim) are in awe of Andre's home and make use of the pool and marvel in Franklin’s new residence.  Max's first thought is that Andre is some kind of "troll" who is nothing more than Franklin's sugar daddy. You are not quite sure exactly about the relationship in the beginning although Franklin never gives the appearance of a user. He loves art and wants to learn from someone like Andre besides being his lover. Andre from the first scene has a strong sexual desire for the young man yet he strangely keeps calling him Naomi after the stately model Naomi Campbell.

There is some innocuous talk in the first act with Franklin's complaining about his not understanding how Andre can put two different artist's works in the same room which to him is an affront to his sensibility as an artist. While the play seems to be going nowhere it takes a sudden unsettling turn when the usually mild Andre starts to delve into some  "soft" domination with Franklin. Suddenly Franklin starts to call Andre "Daddy" which pleases the older fellow. Slowly, we begin to see a kind of emasculation of Franklin as noted by his beginning to suck his thumb. There is a feeling the playwright is emphasizing white domination over blacks through the years. He is the controlling figure and Franklin even delves into creating the deplorably racist "coon babies"  which were sold in the early 20th Century. There is a Gospel Choir of three women (Carrie Compere, Denise Manning and Onyie Nwachukwu) who play a part in the spirituality which was an integral part of his life taught by his adoring mother Zora (a wonderful Charlayne Woodard.) But even the meaning of the Choir becomes a bit foolish when Andre breaks into the George Michael song "Father Figure" while walking in his pool.

What becomes very strange and upsetting are the large dolls that the young man has created one representing himself, one as Andre and one as his mother. They become part of the third act when his friends including the gallery owner Alessia (Hari Nef) are there to celebrate Andre and Franklin's marriage. This is where the action begins to take a new turn and not a successful one. Each of the guests start to have a speech which never gels clearly with the action of what has occurred. And even when Andre starts to take on the role of Franklin's actual father arguing with his mother it feels forced upon us.

There is a tentative uplifting conclusion but even that feels labored and forced despite Danya Taymor's keen direction.

Tickets are available at the Pershing Square Signature Theatre 480 West 42nd Street or by calling 212.244.7529.


PHOTOS: MONIQUE CARBONI