Little Velvet Square: "Almost an Evening" Touches That Tender Little Spot...Almost

Feeling Around With A Little Velvet Square:

by Jesse Schmitt

When F. Murray Abraham’s God (“Who Judges”) character begins his stumping about humanities perpetual misinterpretation of the Ten Commandments, it seems intended as an eye opening experience for the audience assembled in the theatre. It also is addressed universally towards the-audience-within-the-audience that his character is playing to. However a line is soon crossed which sets off Mark Linn-Baker (“God Who Loves”) and sends them off into a battle royal which could have only been punctuated by a Springer character running on with a steel chair. It’s the message that gets muddled for both Mr. Abraham and a pair seeing the show-inside-the-show, after their show, as they discuss the merits of Mr. Abraham’s God over dinner which sets off a disagreement which evolves into a fight which could only be punctuated by a Springer character running on with a steel chair. It is only then that Mr. Abraham the actor who had “played God” arrives at the very restaurant where these two audience members are discussing his performance from just previous…

And on and on it goes.

Perhaps the description of this closing piece “Debate,” from the playwright himself could have better prepared us for this circuitousness when in the playbill we are warned: “Cosmic questions are taken up. Not much is learned.”

This is the feel of the evening in the trio of short works from Mr. Ethan Coen which make up “Almost an Evening,” his current presentation of short works at The Theatres at 45 Bleecker Street, currently running in New York City. There is plenty of pathos, plenty of wrath, and plenty of humor in the nearly 90 minutes of stage time in the three short pieces. I dare not call them “plays” in the traditional sense so much as vignettes or scenes; pieces of human interaction strung together to take the audience on a fully self-aware evening of theatre.

Mr. Coen is one half of the Oscar saddled Coen brothers; the Hollywood dream team who are responsible for such instant classics as "Raising Arizona", "O’Brother Where Art Thou", and "No Country For Old Men" just to name a few. However far from the glitz of Hollywood Bleecker Street is, the playwright did not come to the party empty handed. Many may recognize Mr. Linn-Baker as “Cousin Larry” but there is a whole talented troupe including Mr. Murray Abraham, J.R. Horne, Jordan Lage, Mary McCann, Del Pentecost, Joey Slotnick, Johanna Day, and Tim Hopper; each under the watchful eye of director Neil Pepe.

However, much to the benefit of the audience, this is not some self-congratulatory Hollywood ‘in crowd.’ While George Clooney does make a brief appearance on a magazine cover in Hell, the location of his appearance seems not at all coincidental. No this group are ensemble performers and they all approach the words of Mr. Coen under direction of Mr. Pepe with careful consideration. Many of the players are actually members of The Atlantic Theatre Company (William H. Macy & David Mamet’s theatre school) who is a producing agent for this show.

And their performances were all generally really good. So I hesitate to say anything more about the evening...But I will.

Here's my biggest gripe. In “Almost an Evening,” the heightened reality and overall story arc are predominantly absent. I feel like many of the lines spoken in these pieces are done so into the mirror; as though Mr. Coen himself were onstage, feeling shy. This, from one of my favorite filmmakers is outrageous; I'd certianly expected a lot more "Pop!" Some of the scenes in this evening reminded me of Larry, Curly, and Shemp more than Coen Brothers favorites like "Fargo" or "The Big Lebowski." Heck, even "The Man Who Wasn't There," has a beginning, middle, and end; it's the "Almost" in this evening which was the biggest qualifier and, unfortunately, it is also the biggest let down.

But my tone is all off because the acting was great! There is a fun irony which the players are able to pull off with grace and elegance. Everyone seemed to hit their spots and they all remained largely connected. Still, the conflicted tenor leaves one exiting the theatre as a maudlin drunk. The banter the actors share is delightful, and while some of their phrasings are witty; the spectacle is apparent; the bickering, jarring; the dynamism, relative. “Rage Against the Machine: If That’s the Way You Feel.”

I get it that Mr. Coen didn't want to take any playwright's milk money; so much of what is said in the theatre has already been said before. But we come to the theatre exactly for that; why do you think Shakespeare is continually remounted? It felt as though Mr. Coen saw the vertical distance in the pole vault, set his bar down and just walked away rather than giving it a go.

That said, “Almost an Evening,” more than lives up to its name. There is a certian "yuck-yuckiness" to the pieces which, in the end, is disappointing. Mr. Coen even evokes Mr. Mamet at one point and like a damsel, tied to the tracks it seemed as obvious as the freight train’s coming in the distance. And to be there is exactly where I felt I was. What this show does have going for it is just about everything else; the players give it their all and each are able to shine at moments; the direction is snappy; the production is nice. While the endgame is par for the course, if you’re looking for an enjoyable, but not impressively memorable evening at the theatre in the Village, “Almost an Evening,” is as just as good an option as any.