|
Go to "The Source” for
Journalistic Intrigue
 |
| L-R: Conan McCarty, left, Eleanor Handley,
Andrew Rein. Photo by SuzAnne Barabas. |
Through
April 7.
New Jersey Repertory, 179 Broadway, Long Branch.
Thurs & Fri at 8PM; Sat at 3 & 8; Sun at 2PM.
Tickets ($50): 732-229-3166 or online at www.njrep.org3
Reviewed
by Philip Dorian.
There is some real good acting on display these days
at New Jersey Repertory Company. Not only do the three cast members
of "The Source,” Jack Canfora's trippy excursion into
the world of news management, toss off their snappy dialogue with
wit and precision, they also appear comfortable with the inter-twined
plot that might stymie lesser talents. In a scenario that swings
non-sequentially among places and dates, that plot hinges on the
ethics of gathering the news versus the business of disseminating
it. It would seem that in Canfora's view, ‘journalistic integrity'
is an oxymoron. (I will forgo a riposte.)
A two-year old phone-hacking issue, for which media giant International
News Corporation had apologized, is back in the news via a leak
by an unknown source, threatening INC's acquisition of media giant
Clear Sky. If that sounds vaguely familiar, any similarity to real
Murdochs – er, persons – is intentional.
The underlying journalistic malfeasance, phone-hacking, is pretty
much generic, but Canfora puts his own spin on it. Eleanor Brock
(Eleanor Handley)'s high-up corporate position puts her just below
mogul-in-chief Roland (Conan McCarty) and slightly above co-exec
Andrew (Andrew Rein), whose relationship to Roland makes for an
interesting dynamic. In the course of a meeting in Eleanor's office
high above Manhattan (Jessica Parks' sleek set design) over how
to deal with the leak, Eleanor becomes Roland's unsuspecting scapegoat,
hoist by her own petard*. The maneuver is totally implausible, but
the rest of the play depends on it, so moving on…
We're brought back two years to the London site of the original
journalistic sin, then ahead a few days, still in London, and finally
back to the NYC office, now Andrew's, 15 months after the first
scene, where Roland gets his comeuppance…sort of. (Allaying
our confusion, dates and locations are projected along a front border.)
It could end there, but in a belated "the plot thickens”
coda, the manipulation of Eleanor and Andrew's years-ago intimacy
is yet to be revealed. It's all complex beyond necessity, but there's
no denying the intrigue at its core, which some judicious paring
will enhance.
Handley leaves no doubt about Eleanor's intelligence, competence
and equal-footing status…until she is conned by a master manipulator,
which inspires her to revenge. And fortunately for everyone in the
building, Eleanor is going to the opera after the opening-scene
meeting, because Ms. Handley does "gussied up,” as Andrew
calls it, very well indeed. As her cryptic co-exec, Rein finds the
balance between loyalty to her and the character's self-interest.
The Andrew-Eleanor chemistry is never far from the surface. (I can't
resist mentioning that those are also the actor's first names. Could
you?)
McCarty plays Roland as the nefarious scoundrel Canfora wrote. You
can practically see his take-no-prisoners brain at work, as Roland
over-compensates for his somewhat short stature. (Creative casting
all ‘round.)
Canfora would be wise to keep these three excellent actors on board.
Also, who knows if another director could bind them to the play
as well as does Evan Bergman, who downplays the characters' types
without negating them?
A goodly portion of the repartee is whip-smart. Having been summoned
to Eleanor's office, Andrew thinks he might be in trouble "considering
all the other times you have had me in here for a drink.”
"I've never had you in here for a drink,” she counters.
"Exactly,” Andrew deadpans. Other exchanges contain more
than a kernel of wisdom. When Andrew questions a business prediction,
Roland asserts it was made "By the smartest people in the world.”
"The smartest people in the world,” retorts Andrew, "don't
make predictions.”
The final scene of "The Source” leaves a question hanging.
Depending on your need for a tidy ending, this can be thought-provoking
or frustrating. Someone asked me what I thought happened with Eleanor
after the events of the play. The smartest people in the world don't
make predictions, I told her. Nor will I.
*Hamlet, Act 3, scene iv, referring to a plot or scheme that
instead ensnares the plotter/schemer, which is what happens to Eleanor
in "The Source.” |
