A Bright New Boise

     By Joseph Cervelli

While Samuel D. Hunter's 2010 play "A Bright New Boise" which is having its off Broadway debut at the Signature Theatre is moderately fascinating and absorbing it never truly resonates for a number of reasons. 

Hunter has too many situations going on here. There is the issue of finding the son a character gave up for adoption, lonely people who don't know where to turn, and in the forefront religion. It is not clear exactly how Hunter feels about all kinds of religion but it does not seem to help the characters in his play. 

Interestingly, the action takes place in the break room of a Hobby Lobby Craft Store in Boise, Idaho. Those familiar with this company will be aware that the founders are ingrained in conservative religious beliefs along with strict Christian ideals. Yet, some things here just don't gel. Would one of the characters Leroy (Angus O' Brien) be allowed to wear provocative tee shirts he himself has designed outside of the break room. Hard to believe any store policy would allow an employee to wear such on the selling floor. Can you imagine a conservative Christian institution allowing "F***" to be worn for customers to see. There would be a riot. Hobby Lobby is also anti unions a topic that is gone over very briefly in the beginning of the play. And the manager of the store Pauline (Eva Kaminsky) who was hired to get its failing status back up to par spends most of her time screaming at the employees. Why indeed would she allow Leroy to wear a standard Hobby Lobby shirt without anything underneath? Not exactly realistic.

There is a new employee Will (Peter Mark Kendall) who is starting his first day. We find out Will belonged to a controversial non-denominational church in northern Idaho. He worked he says as both a janitor and bookkeeper. Something happened at the church concerning the pastor which sent the pastor to jail and closed the church down. Hunter does have the audience guessing what exactly transpired which is explained at the end. And it is the last fifteen or so minutes that are the most interesting. I kept wondering why not bring that part of the play into the limelight much earlier. And one of the characters may not be as unassuming as you are led to believe. 

Right from the onset (no real spoiler here) Will announces to the teenage boy Alex (Ignacio Diaz-Silverio) who works there that he is his father who gave him up as a child. Alex has loads of issues which include lying and panic attacks. He also despises his adoptive parents whom he calls alcoholics among other things. Not sure how much is true or not. We also find out that Leroy is his stepbrother. 

As if this is not enough we meet the rather banal Anna (Anna Baryshnikov) who has her own issues trying to find a boyfriend but is very jittery and a rather uninteresting character. For some strange reason the playwright has both entering the lounge area after the store is closed. Will needs the internet for his book and Anna goes there to read. Apparently Will has not service where he is currently living and Anna has to put up with disruptive brothers. Still makes little sense and it would be fine if Hunter had them meet once but twice becomes tedious. 

The performances are adequate but here is a stilted feeling here among all of them. I felt that Oliver  Butler's direction never clearly gives them the energy they should have. The storyline is original but never feels as developed as it should be because too much is transpiring that just never clearly coalesces into a play that should be more involving than it is. 

Tickets are available at the Pershing Square Signature Theater 480 West 42nd Street. 

PHOTOS: JOAN MARCUS