An intimate depiction of activism in the twenty-first century opened last weekend at the ’92 Theater. “The Altruists,” written by Nicky Silver and directed by David Haan ’06 tried to convey an interesting message by showing the ultimate narcissism of activists today, a topic that should be well-suited to a Wesleyan University audience. However, this script, and therefore this production, tries a little too hard and uses a few too many clichés to provoke the message the show wishes to comvey.
“The Altruists” focuses on the relationships between three self-professed activists, all of whom left quiet, upper-middle-class homes to live in rat-infested apartments. Ronald (Michael Gottwald ’06) feels unfulfilled in his job as a social worker; Ethan (Justin Duffy ’07) supplements his activism with drug abuse and many affairs; and Cybil (Janene Podesta ’05), a self-professed lesbian, takes on too many causes to remember what protest she has to attend day to day.
The other two characters in the cast stand vividly apart from the activists. Sydney (Annie Bodel ’08), Ronald’s sister and Ethan’s lover, plays Montana Beach on the soap opera of the same name, and fills her closet with Gucci and Prada. Lance (Austin Purnell ’08) sleeps with Ronald, and, to Ronald’s surprise in one of the show’s funnier moments, expects to be paid.
As the audience filed in, they eventually noticed the actors sleeping onstage, who gradually awoke and started their performance before the audience settled in and the lights dimmed. An interesting tactic, yet I left feeling unsure about the director’s objective in using this maneuver. Perhaps the audience felt somehow closer to the characters from the beginning, yet I found the characters’ performances before the show a bit too forced.
As we delved into the world of “The Altruists,” I found myself surrounded by several actors with great potential stuck with a script in dire need of a rewrite and perhaps a few more rehearsals. While many of the actors approached their roles with evident energy, they needed a bit more direction in terms of physicality and projection. Also, while some of the actors’ portrayals seemed forced and unrealistic, I wholeheartedly point to a script that tended to use cliché and caricature to create its characters. When Ronald “adopts” Lance, the narcissism beneath his “benevolent” act screams at the audience; and Cybil’s inability to remember which protest she has to attend repeatedly annoys the audience who, by the end, understands all too well that Cybil’s involved in too many causes to actually care.
Again, Nicky Silver’s script replaces these characters with caricatures, and these actors honestly try to portray them with as much realism they can possibly add. The most realistic, and moving performance of the evening belongs to Purnell who, in portraying Lance, managed to find his humanity beneath his indifference.
In its portrayal of today’s activist culture, “The Altruists” effectively discusses the prototypical protestors’ inherent narcissism, renouncing the upper-middle-class lifestyle and professing themselves to causes for their own self-gratification. Unfortunately, Nicky Silver desperately needs a lesson in the effectiveness of subtlety, as the audience leaves “The Altruists” feeling as though its message was beat repeatedly into their heads.
“The Altruists” by Nicky Silver; directed by David Haan ’06; stage managed by Nick Benacerraf ’08; lighting design by W. Gavin Robb ’07; set design by Charlie Van Der Poel ’07; costumes by A. Gillian Hanson ’07; sound design by Booth Wilson ’07
With Annie Bodel ’08 (Sydney); Michael Gottwald ’06 (Ronald); Justin Duffy ’07 (Ethan); Janene Podesta ’05 (Cybil); and Austin Purnell ’08 (Lance)
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