For the past decade, Richard Nelson has written eight plays which take place in the small town of Rhinebeck, New York. The Michaels is my fourth visit to this community. He writes Americana in a most intimate way. Prototypical families filled with people who are thoughtful, decent, loving and worried. The dramas are intimate in scale amidst the big wide world. Events which influence and shape our lives are present but are not the sole focus.
The four Apple Family Plays were a sold out sensation at the Public Theater. That Hopey Changey Thing took place during the 2010 midterm elections. Sweet and Sad was set at the tenth anniversary of 9/11. The next year, Sorry had the backdrop of the 2012 Presidential election. The cycle wrapped up with Regular Singing in 2013 on the fiftieth anniversary of JFK’s assassination. I missed them but they were a significant enough phenomena that PBS filmed them.
The Gabriels: Election Year in the Life of One Family took place through the 2016 Presidential campaign. This three part drama started with a funeral in Hungry. The second play was What Did You Expect? The final entry, Women of a Certain Age, opened on the night Donald Trump was declared the winner. The play did not include the final results but the backdrop of an economically and morally fading America was omnipresent.
Two splendid actors, Maryann Plunkett and Jay O. Sanders, have appeared in all eight productions including The Michaels. The characters may be different but their recurring appearance binds together Mr. Nelson’s thematic use of Rhinebeck. The town becomes a familiar terrain used to dissect and ponder this time in American history. There is a feeling of classic to this entire group of plays.
The Micheals is subtitled Conversations During Difficult Times. In Rose’s kitchen on October 27, 2019, a group of women (and one husband) gather to recount past glories. Rose (Brenda Wehle) is a semi-retired modern dance choreographer. Irenie Walker (Haviland Morris), one of her celebrated dancers, has come to visit. Once again, a meal will be prepared and cooked. Conversations will gently swing from yesteryear nostalgia to today’s worries.
Rose’s daughter Lucy (Charlotte Bydwell) is a dancer who is practicing to perform a series of pieces from her mother’s repertory with her cousin May (Matilda Sakamoto). The circle of life is ever present. Nurturing is accompanied by stern warnings. Kate, a retired schoolteacher, is a new friend who is preparing dinner. Lucy was once her student. The small town vibe hovers around these individuals.
Mr. Nelson considers major life moments in a beautifully understated way. As a result, there is a richness to the dialogue which seems organic and very familiar. Escape is the slightly unspoken word. Rose has had a big career in the dance world of 1970’s New York. She moved away. What is best for her daughter and niece? A romantic opportunity presents itself to another character. This riddle creates heartbreak. Should one be practical and responsible no matter what the alternative choice?
The Michaels is soft spoken and, like the quiche being prepared, takes time coagulating into the depths of its character’s emotions. Deliberately paced, the onion peels back during this little reunion. Pivotal life changing events are on the horizon for both the young and old.
This entire cast is directed with effortless naturalism by Mr. Nelson. Each persona is a fully inhabited individual wading through life but stopping at this moment to do so with each other. No more plot description is needed. Letting this play unfold is one of its great joys.
Returning to Rhinebeck reminded me how little connectivity exists with my own family. There is goodness in these people which, therefore, makes you want to visit with them. They help me traverse the highs and lows of my own American journey. Richard Nelson is a playwright who will always be worth your time.
The Michaels is being performed at the Public Theater through November 24, 2019.