Happy Talk--Not Much of that Here

       By Joseph Cervelli

Jesse Eisenberg's new play "Happy Talk" presented by The New Group at the Pershing Square Signature Center is not in the same league as his previous one "The Revisionist" in which he sparred perfectly with Vanessa Redgrave. Actually, this new work is more of a run of the mill comedy/drama sitcom until it turns oddly creepy towards the end. If there anything that makes this play worth interesting under Scott Elliott's direction it is the remarkable Susan Sarandon. This is not to belie the other performances especially the always welcome and immensely talented Marin Ireland. There is just something so delightfully sinister about the way Sarandon has of gnawing into a role with such subtlety. Watching the excellent Showtime series "Ray Donovan" Sarandon exudes charm with a winning smile and in the next moment can order the death of someone who did her wrong. Here it is not that extreme,  but she has this unsurpassed skill to make have you feel sorry for her and then slowly but almost manically turns the tables where you see what a loathsome character she really is.

She portrays Lorraine who is appearing as Bloody Mary (speak about politically incorrect casting!) In what sounds like a perfectly dreadful version of "South Pacific" presented at the Jewish Community Center. She flits around the stage informing her generally non-communicative husband sitting in his recliner addicted to books about the Civil War how much she adds to the role. And how her fellow actors adore her. Well, it is evident they feel the opposite for when they all go out for a drink without inviting her.  Of course, she makes up some flimsy excuse for not being included. Watching her carefully you know she is quite aware of their snub but is in her own theatrical world of self importance.

Her husband Bill (a very fine Daniel Oreskes) whom she frequently makes caustic remarks to  is suffering from MS and depression. Does she love him? Not really and you are never quite sure if she is capable of loving anyone but her narcissistic self. Her unseen mother whom she not so affectionately calls "the beast"  is in the other room and cared for by live in Serbian caregiver  Ljuba (an excellent Marin Ireland.) Lujba also attends to Bill except for Lorraine microwaving his food. Lorraine has little patience with Bill thinking if he really wanted to do more even as he writhes in a sudden onset of pain he certainly could.

Being undocumented Ljuba knows her troubles would be over if she could find a husband. She has saved $15,000 which she keeps in Lorraine's mother's room to paid towards finding a man for marriage. Lorraine being the magnanimous person she believes herself to be said she will find someone who will be willing to accept this amount instead of what most guys would want. The fellow Lorraine chooses is her flamboyantly gay co-star Ronny (an exceedingly funny Nico Santos)  from the show. I kept thinking how is this fellow going to convince immigration officials he is actually marrying Ljuba for other than devious motives. Surely, he does not give an impression that this will be anything other than a marriage of convenience. But by the play's conclusion there is something that clicks as to why Lorraine has chosen him.

In the midst of all this Bill and Lorraine's estranged (mostly from her mother) daughter Jenny (Tedra Millan) breaks in at midnight through the back screened door (a lovely set by Derek McLane)  which makes little sense. She plans on leaving he country with her new husband and wants to say goodbye to her father whom she loves. There is a very tender and loving interplay between father and daughter which is short lived. Lorraine is so in her own insular world that even  Jenny's diatribe against her mother means little and she pays no attention rather concentrating on her acting.

Lorraine really shows her  own malevolent character near the end in which I will go no further except to say that Sarandon sinks her claws into that moment with such a fallacious smile.

While all give their all the play itself seems to go awry throughout not really sure what it wants to be other than a character study of the lead. When Lorraine feels that Bloody Mary is "broken woman" she might easily have been speaking about herself.

PHOTOS: MONIQUE CARBONI


Tickets are available at the The Pershing Square Signature Theater 480 West 42nd Street or by calling 212.279.4200.