The Black Wolfe Tone

By Joseph Cervelli

The two major questions in the emotionally moving solo play "The Black Wolfe Tone" with a hauntingly memorable performance by Irish actor Kwaku Fortune playing at The W. Scott McLucas Studio Theatre at the Irish Rep are what caused his mental illness and how to deal with it. 

Fortune created a deeply disturbed character named Kevin suffering from bipolar disorder and as performed and with arresting direction by Nicola Murphy Dubey it will grab you from the very start of its 65 or so minutes. 

The very simple set is the outside of a mental institution in Ireland showing a tree minus any leaves. The symbolism there is apparent. Kevin is just as depleted. 

Being only a six row theater Fortune as Kevin  bears right into you. He looks at the audience smoking on his break and states that he has created us. What is almost frightening is how he  stares with a searing focus  from one person to the next  almost want them to understand his pain. Before the show started, I moved back a bit and happen to be in full line of his vision. I felt immediately immersed in his psyche as he looked at me asking "was it my parent's fault?" Then goes on to speak about his father who he doesn’t believe was responsible, although he was emotionally detached from his son.

He speaks about racism when accosted on a bus by a man who tells him to go back to his own country and Kevin responds by speaking in Gaelic with comments about this is his country. 

The play as written by Fortune is in stream of consciousness so while easy to follow there is some dialogue that is purposely convoluted in meaning. One of the most upsetting feelings he expresses is how "mania is the best drug on the planet." This truly expresses the feeling of someone with severe mental issues. They cannot deal with life as it is so enter another world which is easier for them to cope. 

The only other character is the voice of the nurse we hear (Clare Barrett). Fortune portrays the doctor who is taking care of him explaining about the drugs he is on to keep him as stable as possible. There is a playful give and take between he and the doctor who slowly is losing patience with Kevin trying to get him to understand he must work as hard as he can to deal with his illness so he can eventually leave the  institution. 

He had been transferred from a prison after writing in fecal matter "Fuck Da Guards" on the walls of his cell and starts to sing about raping their children, etc. It is apparent he needs a great deal of psychiatric help. 

He compares himself to Theobald Wolfe Tone who was an 18th Century figure who strived for Irish independence but not understanding he is not capable of leaving under his current situation. 

As he continues with his monologue things seem to be getting the worst of him. It is as if he has been all consumed by his mania. He explains being chased by boys with bats, crashing into a wall with his car, and then fighting with his brother that causes severe injury to him. And worse yet what occurs between he and his father.

He poses a question at the very end to you the audience he believes he created. You almost want to answer him but know it is not the answer he may want, though he knows the outcome. 

I would be amiss if I did not mention the excellent lighting by Adam Honore. I remember Honore's on target lighting for "Cats: The Jellicle Ball" among other shows and here the lighting is especially good. 

I urge you to see this overwhelmingly consuming new play with a volcanic performance by Kwaku Fortune. 

PHOTO: Carol Rosegg

Tickets are available at Irish Rep 132 West 22nd Street.

 

The Last Bimbo of the Apocalypse

  By Joseph Cervelli

When the large canvas (set design by Stephanie Osin Cohen) comes down at the well acted but mostly juvenile new pop musical "The Last Bimbo of the Apocalypse" at The Pershing Square Signature Center, I could recognize Paris Hilton but for a moment or two did not make the connection between the other two namely, Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan. They were more infamous than, perhaps, famous and the New York Post really tore into them naming them "Three Bimbos of the Apocalypse" about 20 or so years ago. In this new show designed for the Gen Z audience (a lot of the comments and dialogue I must admit went over my head) we meet teen detective Brainworm (apparently "worm" means something to the younger members in the audience.)  She is a YouTuber sleuth whose job is to try to find "missing girls." Brainworm is played by a wonderful Milly Shapiro whose character is agraphobic though she does venture out after four years in her apartment where she has her internet program to find the missing young woman Coco. 

This Coco (joyously played by Keri Rene Fuller)  is a not very well known pop artist but Brainworm notices the bracelet with her name printed on it. Apparently she has died right after the photo was taken. And there is also a still photo of Coco with her insane mother (think the mother of Carrie from the film here played by the always excellent Sara Gettelfinger) and some unknown person Kiki (Natalie Walker). 

There are two other "worms" in the show namely the flamboyantly gay Earworm (Luke Islam) and the supposedly straight Bookworm (Patrick Nathan Falk.) While both actors are fine they really are not given much to do and basically act as backgrouind singer/dancers. It takes a while to figure out not that they also are YouTubers but from different parts of the country. 

Things get more incoherent when Brainworm finally meets up with Coco who apparently has been kidnapped by her mother telling her daughter the world is coming to an end. But then later on Coco makes a comeback in appropriately garish costumes by Cole McCarty without much of an explanation except for the help of Brainworm. For some bizarre reason she is suddenly surrounded by her mother (when did the mother suddenly become part of her world?) and Kiki (you will find out who she really is.)

Michael Breslin and Patrick Foley are responsible for the book, music and lyrics. While the book is a mess and, at times, you almost give up on trying to follow it their score is tuneful and not as loud as you would think. Yet, it was not always easy to understand the lyrics. 

Jack Ferver is responsible for the energetic choreography along with Olivia Palacios who provided additional choreography and Rory Pelsue both directed and developed it. I wished he had paid more atttention to individual scenes making them coalesce into a flowing narrative. It appears to be linear in a non linear format.

But the young audience was having a most enjoyable time and with some work it could have been a lot better. You most certainly will not be bored!

Photos: Monique Carboni

Tickets are available at the Pershing Square Signature Center, 480 West 42nd Street. For theater schedule and tickets please go to: thenewgroup.org.