Theater Reviews: Three Off-Broadway Plays Cleverly Explores the Real Lives of a British Abolitionist (“The Return of Benjamin Lay”), Conductors Leonard Bernstein and Herbert von Karajan (“Last Call”), and Playwright Joshua Harmon’s Mother and Grandmother (“We Had a World”)

The Return of Benjamin Lay (c) Rebecca J. Michelson

Theater Review: The Return of Benjamin Lay 
At the Sheen Center 

If there was ever a play that epitomizes the mission statement of Sheen Center for Thought & Culture, which is proudly “a haven for the arts and provides a platform for provocative conversations about diverse and inclusive aspects of humanity as seen through the creative lens of faith and respect,” it’s Naomi Wallace and Marcus Rediker’s The Return of Benjamin Lay. My first two questions with a historical play like this, which I had no context for, are “Who was Benjamin Lay and where has he been?” The first question is explored in the first two thirds of the play. Benjamin Lay was essentially a British Quaker and a fierce abolitionist who lived during the 1700s. He was also a little person and is embodied by the British actor Mark Povinelli in an astounding New York theater acting debut. The conceit of the play is that Lay has returned to life in our modern times to a Quaker meeting, asking to be reinstated after being kicked out for his disruptive manner. While interacting with the audience (probably the least successful aspect of the play) Lay narrates his story from living in England working his dream job as a sailor to moving to Barbados with his wife, where he saw first-hand the evils of slavery. He was so resolute in his beliefs that he refused to partake in anything produced in any way by slaves, including sugar. After moving to the colonies, he got his abolitionist book published (by Benjamin Franklin, of all people) and lived most of his later years in a cave. (The Sheen is also hosting a helpful companion exhibition with more in depth exploration of the man and the Quakers.). This could have all been done in a dry edutainment way, but in Ron Daniels’s spirited production, The Return of Benjamin Lay is always engaging, with Povinelli hopping around and incorporating the full real estate of the stage, especially when talking about his life at sea. But it’s the message of anti-slavery, transposed to our modern world as racism and erasure of black lives that is the powerful heart of this intelligent play. When we have a current president who says he’s proud to abolish diversity, equality and inclusion, it’s imperative that we welcome the return of such a revolutionary voice as Benjamin Lay. 

Film Reviews: Three Films Explores the Gay Experience in Wonderful Diverse Way: the Tender Coming-of-Age “Young Hearts,” the Mysterious and Menacing World of “Misericordia” and the Goofy Horror Comedy of “The Parenting”

Young Hearts (c) Strand Releasing

Film: Young Hearts 
In Cinemas 

It’s been a while since I have found a relatable and honest portrayal of first gay yearning. Not since 1996, to be exact. That was the year the British film Beautiful Thing was released, and it was the first film in which I felt there was true representation of the confusion and joy that middle school-aged gay kids feel, with (and this is important) a happy ending. Some films have come close, namely Lukas Dhont 2022’s Close, but that film was emotionally draining as it added a tragic layer to it even before any happiness was even broached. Now thirty years since Beautiful Thing, we finally get a worthy successor in Young Hearts, a Belgian film in which 14-year-old Elias’ (Lou Goossens) life is turned upside down when handsome Alexander (Marius De Saeger) moves in across the street, and a tentative friendship blossoms. When Elias asks Alexander, who has moved from Brussels with his widowed father and young sister, and can speak French (swoon) , if he has ever been in love, Alexander says he has, with both a girl and a boy. This unleashes a flood of prepubescent feelings in Elias, who has had a steady girlfriend, but starts to wonder if that was what was missing in his young life. There is some external drama, including a trio of bullies (aren’t there always?) as well as Elias’ strained relationship with his father, a local singer finding fame in his first album, who doesn’t seem to notice the change in his son’s demeanor. But like most of these coming-out dramas, the biggest obstacle to Elias’ happiness is Elias himself. What makes this film an important watch for kids is the empathy our young hero gets from the most unexpected places, which may not be the case for many kids looking for acceptance. But I’d rather have an aspirational blueprint of positive reactions than the brutal reality of homophobia. Goossens is believably expressive and open-hearted as Elias while De Saeger, who could have just made Alexander a cool Chalamet of desire, has some fine moments of understanding too. Yes, these are cis white actors, but director Anthony Schatteman does provide diversity in their friend group, which is nice. There are some over-idealized moments involving beautiful rural landscapes (who couldn’t fall in love in this environment?), and there’s even an arc devoted to Romeo and Juliet, but maybe not in the way you think it will be. This is truly a sweet, heartfelt and inspiring film one needs as a tonic to the weight of our current reality. It’s the closest thing to TV’s groundbreaking Heartstopper we have for the big screen, making it essential gay cinema. 

Theater Reviews: Ambitious “SUMO” Transports the Audience to a World Rarely Seen; “As Time Goes By” Explores the Post-Gay Hook-Up Experience; Mother and Son Give Each Other a Lifetime of Agita and Love in Funny “Conversations With Mother"

SUMO (c) Joan Marcus

Theater: SUMO 
At the Public Theater (Ma-Yi Theater Co-Production) 

One of the most exciting purposes of theater is its ability to transport us to a unique and specific world most of us would never find ourselves in, and this is why the audience the night I saw Lisa Sanaye Dring’s play SUMO in the Anspacher Theater always felt like they were on the edge of their seat whenever a new scene started. SUMO (pronounced with emphasis on the second syllable, adding more peculiarity to non-Asian ears), doesn’t specify its time frame, and for a while, it does feel like it could take place back in feudal Japan or modern-day Tokyo (although it becomes clearer as the play proceeds). Dring starts with three narrators who introduce us to the world, what is expected and what is forbidden in the sport of sumo, but she mainly abandons this conceit once the play gets going. We are in a training center run by superstar wrestler Mitsuo (David Shih) as he imparts wisdom and life lessons along with techniques. Enter this almost cult-like living quarters is newbie Akio (Scott Keiji Takeda), who has always dreamed about being a sumo star, but as is always the case, a plebe is treated more like an indentured servant: cleaning, cooking and serving food—and helping to bathe some of them, even as they make fun of him and treat Akio as an untouchable. Akio’s rise in the ranks of the sumo hierarchy is the familiar plot of Dring’s play, and it follows the usual sports film tropes of an athlete struggling, overcoming, triumphing and finally reassessing the given sport. But thankfully on top of this trajectory, the play slyly investigates the toxic male environment that most male contact sports seem to thrive on as well as themes of insecurity, of achieving ones’ dream (as well as “almost” achieving ones’ dream), of sexual identity and mostly of how one must compromise in order to stay on top. Director Ralph B. Peña’s impressive production starts slowly as he introduces the cast and the politics of the training camp, but once the play focuses more on the competitions, the play is smoothly swift and engaging. This is all due to the charismatic and confident cast, which includes Kris Bona, Red Concepción, Michael Hisamoto, Earl T. Kim, Paco Tolson, Viet Vo and, especially, Ahmad Kamal, whose character gets a satisfying secondary plot arc. SUMO’S story may feel like any underdog sports tale, but this world is so vividly brought to life that it’s one of the more entertaining Off-Broadway shows this season. 

The Interested Bystander’s Final Oscar Predictions for 2024-2025

The Substance (c) MUBI

The time has come to finally predict the winners of the 97th Academy Award winners. After what can only be described as chaotic, with the fires in the LA area as well as political upheavals, the frontrunners of many of the categories have shifted throughout the award season. The film with the most nominations (Emilia Pérez) may only get three wins while a film with just six nominations (Anora) may be get four. 

Last weekend’s SAG Awards did not help with clarity of who might win the Oscar. Did Demi Moore win for Best Actress because of her similar narrative to her character in The Substance and can the Academy overlook the body-horror aspect of the film to give her the win. Or can Brazilian actress Fernanda Torres repeat her win Golden Globe win for I'm Still Here just as Carnivale starts in Brazil? Adrian Brody has dominated the Best Actor category in the precursors for The Brutalist, but when Timothée Chalamet won the SAG Award for A Complete Unknown, it seemed like a path was made for him to win (he is the only actor to lead TWO Best Picture nominees). 

Below are my percentage picks for each category as well as my vote if I was an Academy voter. If you have an Oscar Pool with friends or at work, look at the odds and make up your own mind as to who you think will win. 

Thanks to everyone who followed the Oscars with me. This year is going to be bonkers. There is going to be one big surprise, but can one predict surprises? I decided to do one crazy prediction. 

Enjoy! 

Theater Reviews: Idina Menzel Defies Gravity Again for Her Best Broadway Performance in “Redwood”; Personal “Grangeville” Gives Playwright Samuel D. Hunter an Opportunity to Exorcise Demons; Politicians Learn Who They Work for in Relevant “Garside’s Career”

Redwood (c) Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman

Broadway: Redwood 
At the Nederlander Theatre 

Jesse, the main character of the new musical Redwood by veteran Tina Landau and newcomer Kate Diaz, seems to be tailor-made for Idina Menzel in her first Broadway show since the Sliding Doors-like musical, If/Then. First of all, she’s back at the Nederlander Theatre, where she originated performance artist Maureen in Rent, always fighting with lesbian lover, Joanne. In Redwood, Jesse is married to a photographer, Mel (De’Adre Aziza), and at the start of the show, she is running away from their marriage for reasons we don’t find out until later. Menzel played Elsa, the Queen of Arrindell in the film Frozen, who reconnects with nature, which gave her ice powers. Jesse finds herself in the redwood forest of Eureka, California, where, after somehow convincing two tree botanists, Finn (Michael Park) and Becca (Khaila Wilcoxon), into letting her ascend the tree they’re studying, finds some semblance of peace. And like her Tony-winning role as Elphaba in Wicked, Jesse enjoys repelling from the tree in one of the best moments of Redwood, jumping all over the stage in her ropes and harness. And while I have liked Menzel in many of her roles, her performance here feels like her most complete as Jesse bares her soul, exuding pain and joy with powerful vocals and impressive athletics (I guess the height never bothered her anyway).