There are playwrights who create new works that I feel compelled to see because their previous efforts has been so good and original. Will Eno is one of them. I’ve already encountered Thom Pain (based on nothing), Middletown, The Realistic Joneses and Wakey, Wakey. The Underlying Chris is a terrific addition to that recommended list.
Mr. Eno seems to be an acquired taste. Critics and audiences are not all on board. I find his sense of humor to be the perfect kind of sarcastic observation. Here is a line from this new play. It shows up randomly and means nothing other than to elicit a laugh. “We all know HOW aromatic candles are made but do we know WHY?”
The Underlying Chris is a play about a person who travels from birth to death. In the first scene, a baby is in a crib. The gender is not quite established. (Oh no, is this going to be that sort of play? Not to worry.) Its mother is going to die in a car accident shortly. This play is about the “moment that shapes a life and the people who shape a moment.”
Chris will age from a teenager to an old person in an assisted living facility. “I’m dying of cake,” he states. In an astonishing series of vignettes, all of the Chris incarnations will appear to show an unremarkable – and yet remarkable – life. In one such segment, a young woman switches her sport of choice from diving to tennis. Earth shattering? No. Real life? Yes.
Throughout this play, Chris changes gender and race in each and every scene. Names will vary such as Khris, Christine and Krista. The clever conceit is clearly meant to show that our stories of life are universal. This play takes the occasionally successful idea of colorblind and gender fluid casting and expands it to the writing itself. Another layer of interest to enjoy.
Under Kenny Leon’s direction, the uniformly excellent (and beautifully modulated) cast flows through life’s largely familiar events. The body is “a non-stop surprise party.” As the underlying Chris ages, however, feelings seem to deepen as wisdom emerges. An appreciation for the gift that is life emerges. Chris realizes it is “quite an honor to be born.” This is a tiny little play about slices of life that are as big as the concept of human existence. Fantastic would be the adjective I would use to describe its impact when the final scene ends.
Unfortunately the play is being performed in the Off-Broadway house of Second Stage. Regular readers might remember the obstructed view seating at Linda Vista earlier this season. Unbelievably this theater company has done it again! In the opening scene – and others – people sitting near me could not see the actors on stage. How can one theater company with multiple stages and directors not notice this?
The scenic design by Arnulfo Maldonado was clever as the time periods flew by. Side panels were not wide enough to consider everyone’s seat in the audience. Scenes would roll off stage to the left and right. While the actors on stage were performing, the noise level backstage was horrendous. My notes included the words crashing and banging. If you go to see this excellent play, sit farther back. Maybe you won’t notice the blatant distractions.
Those avoidable missteps did not hinder my ability to love this play. There is something inherently wonderful about pausing and considering the miracle of life. Mr. Eno writes: “Be glad you have a body. Be glad you were there when the universe was handing them out.” To that I would add: Be glad, theatergoers, that you are alive while Will Eno is writing.
The Underlying Chris is running at Second Stage’s Tony Kiser Theater until December 15, 2019.