When referring to the indigenous vultures on Wall Street, the phrase “roguery is concentrated there” would seem a kinder vernacular than others I have heard. In 1857, successful playwright Dion Boucicault’s The Poor of New York premiered. The play begins in 1837 during the time of a financial crisis in the United States. Based on actions made in the banking system by then President Andrew Jackson, a major recession followed which lasted into the mid-1840’s.
At the start of this very interesting artifact, Gideon Bloodgood’s bank is failing and he’s preparing to skip town. A sea captain named Adam Fairweather is about to embark on a long journey. He wants to deposit his family’s entire fortune for safekeeping while he is gone. The slime ball banker fraudulently accepts his deposit to add to his coffers before he bolts to Europe. The Captain gets wind of his imminent collapse and returns that same evening to get his life savings back. An argument ensues and the Captain drops dead.
Act II (and the rest of the play) is set amidst the financial crisis of 1857, twenty years later. This one involved economic decline and the bursting of a railroad industry stock bubble. (Isn’t it fun how we learn from our past mistakes?) With the migration of people westward, banks were willing to loan huge sums to railroads, some of which existed only on paper. The slavery versus abolitionist debate was heating up. The job market in the north imploded.
The Poor of New York doesn’t delve into the financial shenanigans of mid-nineteenth century America from a national perspective. Instead, the plot centers around one evil banker and the family he destroyed. This is a tale of a rich man who showers his daughter with every extravagance. Alida Bloodgood is described as having a heart “as hard and dry as a biscuit.” As played by Alexandra O’Daly, she is delightfully haughty.
All of the poor folk in this story are well intended, benevolent souls with nary an opportunity to pull themselves out of abject poverty. What’s worse is that they remember the days of comfort making their misfortune even more painful. The Metropolitan Playhouse explores American theatrical heritage to illuminate contemporary culture. The Poor of New York opens a window to the 1% as portrayed 160 years ago.
Directed and designed by Alex Roe, this production has been given an inventive staging. I have not seen a manually operated turntable so artfully and effectively incorporated into storytelling since the Mint Theater’s 2011 production of Rachel Crothers’ A Little Journey. This tiny off-off Broadway space becomes an office, a street, a tenement and a home. As always with this company, entrances and exits are dramatically executed and also make sense.
Popular songs from the 1850’s are performed by the cast during scene changes which fill out thematic elements. They include “Oh! That I Were a Man of Wealth,” “Money is a Hard Thing to Borrow” and an amusing ditty called “I Really Must Be in the Fashion.”
Although very dated in style, the play effectively hits its targets. The actors often speak their thoughts to the audience to help move the plot along. As performed by this solid cast, this historical period piece comes alive. A popular hit at the time, Mr. Boucicault rewrote the details for other productions such as The Poor of Liverpool, London or Manchester.
Paul Fairweather, the sea captain’s son, seems to be the moral center of this play. In a nicely understated way, Luke Hofmaier inhabits this man who is desperate to take care of his family while retaining his dignity. Teresa Kelsey (Mrs. Fairweather) and Jo Vetter (Mrs. Puffy) memorably portray the older women who use kindness and generosity of spirit to survive each day.
The men have the juicier roles whether they are the good or bad guys. David Logan Rankin plays the self-dealing Badger as an inky conniver. He is tremendously fun to watch as his character evolves. Bob Mackasek’s Bloodgood is a perfectly detestable banker. The Fairweather’s family friend Jonas Puffy sells chestnuts on the street. Beaming with a positive attitude despite the circumstances, John Lonoff is pitch perfect in the role.
As regular readers of my blog know, I tend to be partial to plays from the past especially when they are entertainingly realized. Not everyone may be as forgiving to the random asides spoken out loud from these somewhat stock characters. For a glimpse into America’s theatrical past and its uncanny mirror to our continuing legacy of financial malfeasance, The Poor of New York is highly recommended.
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