| I couldn't decide if the play, a social satire, is better than the production it's given here, or if it's uneven. Nottage can be surprisingly funny, but this iteration of FABULATION never gets past amusing. The first half is played extremely--to me excessively--broadly, which has a distancing effect that, while it may be intentional, drains the play of some humor and makes it softer than it probably is. Whether in this mode or in a more dramatic setting, Nottage is principally motivated by outrage. Here the blunt and exaggerated emphasis on class affectations somehow makes the play less scathing. The actors are inventive, but the direction seems off. There's a tonal uncertainty that distracts from Nottage's intentions. This, or maybe the play is erratic as written. I thought of the Supreme's two related hits, Love Child and I'm Living in Shame, while watching this. These songs were inspired by Imitation of Life and I expect Nottage knows them and the film, too. In any case, this is a modest success, but it should have been a blasting satire, and it isn't quite. |
