The Bigot

       By Joseph Cervelli

The writers (Gabi Mor & Eva Mor) of the well intentioned but not completely believable "The Bigot" at the Theatre of St. Clements explain in the program that both have met discrimination in their lives. One being religious and the other cultural. The message in this play is that according to the playwrights being kind and trying to understand a bigot, and one can't imagine one as worse as Jim (a very good Stephen Payne), will eventually work. That is hopeful thinking and if someone is not as extreme as Jim who hates Jews, Moslems, gays, all immigrants, etc. it would make sense. But he is such a cretin that it is hard to believe that even through the kindness of the lesbian couple living in the aparment across from Jim, especially what Aysha finally does for him, he would change.

Jim lives alone while his unattached son Seth (Dana Watkins) frequently comes in to check on his father who is going through dialysis and hoping for a kidney transplant. While Jim calls Seth "son" Seth only calls him Jim for reasons we eventually find out,  although the show is so predictable in so many areas it is not difficult to figure out why. Seth teaches history at Brooklyn College and what makes little sense is that he tries to change his father's belief that slavery was necessary by giving him a book to read and wanting to debate the issue. It is nearly impossible to believe that Seth would go through this trouble when he knows what his father is like.

The interracial lesbians well played by Jaimi Paige as Paula and Faiven Feshazion as Aysha differ on their approach to their neighbor.  Paula keeps going over bringing Jim food which he won't eat because of obvious reasons. Even when she touches him he exaggerates that touching him is literally contaminating him because of her being gay. But having the somewhat unrealistic fortitude she still persists. I never understood how she kept walking into his aparment which he never seems to lock.

While Paula persists, Aysha gets more upset with her partner for volunteering to get herself tested to see if she is a match as a kidney donor.

The dialogue seems to be generally contrived and the ending just ridiculous. What is even more of a problem is that Jim's invective and repulsive anti lesbian comments had people in the audience laughing which I found surprising. Perhaps, just nervous laughter but not what the playwright's have intended. Surely, they were expecting some shock not the audience reaction.

Director Michael Susko for some inexplicable reason has the actors yelling constantly. Doesn't anyone in this play speak at a less that deafening decibel?

I respect both playwrights for their good intentions but the show just falls flat from the onset.

Tickets are available at the Theatre at St. Clements 423 West 46th Street or by calling 212.239.6200. Currently the run ends on June 9.


PHOTOS: JEREMY DANIEL