Oh, the Humanity! a tragic failure

By Matt Banks     2/3/11 6:00pm

Stages Repertory Theatre's most recent production, Oh, the Humanity and Other Exclamations, presents the regional premiere of Will Eno's work. Plagued by a bad script and overdramatic design, the show fails on almost every aspect possible.Oh, the Humanity consists of five different short scenes. Ranging from a pair of photographers to a couple in a car, the situations attempt to portray the pitfalls of being human and make the audience laugh and cry, simultaneously. We see how these different characters unravel, both independently and in tandem, and are given insight into humanity as a whole. Or, at least, that is what the playwright intended.

Eno's writing is the major problem with the production. Overly whiny dialogue, random emotional transitions and cliché characters drag down the actors' attempts at connecting with the audience. The opening scene, in which a high school coach "answers" questions from the press and moans about how his life is such a failure, starts out strong. But after the fifth instance of denying responsibility and then complaining about his life, the audience loses sympathy for the character. The role, played by Philip Lehl, transforms the downtrodden figure we are supposed to pity to a whining five-year-old that we wish would just leave the stage.

Additionally, his appearance in the final scene, "The Beauty of Things," is completely random. Having a total of maybe five lines, the character did not contribute to the work and baffled the audience. Maybe the playwright is trying to make up for the preceding hour and a half of depressing dialogue, but who really knows?

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Similarly, the Gentleman half of the second scene, played by Erik Hellman, portrays a socially inept man at a video dating service. Although he is physically attractive, Hellman's performance also suffers from the horrible script. The man is so blasé that it is no wonder he is single. Technical difficulties with the cameras that are supposed to project his face onto the set focus attention on his female counterpart. His performance was the most upsetting to watch, as it was evident he was handling the worst material in the play.

The one adequate performance in the show comes from Mikelle Johnson. Although she was afflicted with the same awful script as the other actors, her performance is definitely the least stilted. The third scene, in which she portrays an airline spokeswoman holding a press conference after a plane crash that left no survivors, was the most enjoyable part of the show. Her scene is both the most compelling performance and the least melodramatic. Yes, the text gives way to the expected metaphor about how much life sucks, but she was the only one of the three actors to not over-act the entire monologue. Parts are overdone, but as a whole, the monologue portrays the character's awkward nature and discomfort with delivering this news effectively.

What is most upsetting about all these shortcomings is that the show does have some promise. There are brilliant moments of humor in the script that had everyone in the audience laughing. Compared to the obnoxiously grave parts, these comedic bursts were refreshing. However, this relief is short-lived, as the script dives back into the poorly done seriousness and the audience returns to staring at their cell phone clocks.

Considering the unusual nature of the text and performance, it is no wonder the set mimics this eccentric nature. Tall, white, geometric walls made of ceiling tiles and whitewashed wood floors combine as a bleak set design. Wood debris and leaves encircle the stage and lead up to the walkways that the audience uses.

Initially incredible to look at, the set eventually suffers from the awful script as well; nothing is capable of distracting the audience from the performance. Furthermore, the costumes are minimal and nothing special. Grim colors mimic (like everything else in this production) the gloomy atmosphere and give little visual appeal to a production that severely needs it.

During the transitions between each of the five scenes, music plays and the ceiling tiles fall away to reveal a drastically different set than the one presented in front. Natural lighting and plants, when combined with the random tribal music that plays during these transitions, attempt to convey hope, which the work hints at throughout the performance; however, all it really does is add to the overexaggerated nature of the performance.

Too many eyes rolled in the audience when the Indian music played after the first scene, and the rain that fell after the second monologue was another unnecessary reminder that this show was just too depressing.

The worst theatrical piece I have seen recently, Oh, the Humanity kept the audience guessing from beginning to end, but not in a good way.

Abhorrent writing, overdone acting and melodramatic transitions and design make it inhumane to take anyone to see this production.

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