Target Practice
The Why shows that irony is easy; depth is hard
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It's easier to answer "the who, what and where." Robert, a troubled kid, shot four classmates in his school cafeteria. Three of them died, and the boy who survived is disfigured.
As for "the why" (as in why Robert did it)? It's impossible to know, really.
Which doesn't keep playwright Victor Kaufold from indicting virtually every institution he can think of. Reality TV, journalism, movies, therapy, religion, family — they're all pounded with the playwright's sweeping sarcasm and jarringly self-conscious mélange of styles. At the core of The Why are Robert's court-ordered sessions with an analyst, but Kaufold showily surrounds these with characters and commentaries galore, including a singing dog with a hillbilly accent (the uneducated poor are the only group in America that still can be ridiculed with impunity).
Irony is easy. Depth is hard. For all of Kaufold's moral outrage, I'm not sure what he has to say, beyond the glaringly obvious point that violence among children is a national problem. We can't blame him for not having a solution here — nobody does. But in writing a play that takes advantage of the situation while offering nothing new, what makes Kaufold any different from the rest of this system he condemns?
There are some 26 roles in The Why, covering a spectrum of ages and types. Here, all of them are taken by four young actors who have some good moments, but not the necessary range and virtuosity. Similarly, director Jennifer Pratt's direction is thoughtful, but the show feels slow and under-energized. (One flaw could be easily corrected, though — the two chairs need to be differently placed to convincingly suggest an analyst/patient relationship.)
The Why
Through Oct. 28, Simpatico Theatre Project at Second Stage at the Adrienne, 2030 Sansom St., 215-423-0254, simpaticotheatre.org
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