Boston - ""after all the terrible things I do" and Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them"

Regional Reviews: Boston

after all the terrible things I do and
Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them

Tina Chilip and Zachary Booth in
after all the terrible things I do
Photo by T Charles Erickson

A. Rey Pamatmat is having a pretty good month of June as two of his plays are premiering in overlapping productions at the Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts. The Huntington Theatre Company has made the Boston introduction of the emerging Filipino-American playwright's intimate drama after all the terrible things I do, a two-hander about a gay aspiring writer looking for a fresh start at a local independent bookstore and the multiple layers of connection he shares with the Filipino proprietor. Company One Theatre joined the celebration with the New England premiere of Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them, a play with serious themes that gets its message across with a lighter hand, relying on the audience to connect with the characters by relating to their struggles, their triumphs and their self-discovery.

Although the two plays differ greatly in tone and format, they both feature Filipino Americans as protagonists, and explore the emotions and experiences of young gay men as they come of age. after all the terrible things I do tackles aspects of prejudice, bullying, and forgiveness, and Edith... showcases a pair of siblings in a remote Midwestern town who, when left to fend for themselves by their often-absent widowed father, display great strength and resourcefulness while figuring out a way to survive with very little adult supervision. Pamatmat's writing is smart and the dialogue that comes out of his characters' mouths is naturalistic, making them accessible and their situations relatable. Edith (Maria Jan Carreon) and Kenny (Gideon Bautista) behave like little sister and big brother, even though she is wise beyond her twelve years and he is trying awfully hard to be in loco parentis while figuring out his sexuality.

Maria Jan Carreon and Eddie Shields in
Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them
Photo by Paul Fox

Huntington Artistic Director Peter DuBois directs ...terrible things... with great sensitivity to both sides of the story. Linda (Tina Chilip) is the bookstore owner who takes a chance on hiring the inexperienced Daniel (Zachary Booth), drawn by his love of literature and his nostalgic childhood memories of hours spent reading in a corner of her shop. When he chooses to share his novel-in-progress with her, Linda willingly reads and critiques the pages, raising questions that make him dig deeper into his characters' motivations. Through the process, they discover previously undisclosed connections that are troubling, and each of them is challenged to face up to the terrible things that they've done. Chilip and Booth play off one another seamlessly, whether in the early meeting and getting-to-know-you scenes, the excitement of their literary collaboration, or the burgeoning of the borderline maternal relationship. Yet, all is not sweetness and light when their dark corners are exposed, and both actors build the emotion to achieve a powerful, stunning catharsis.

The pressure escalates in Edith... also, but in a less direct way. Pamatmat circles around the drama inherent in the story of these kids basically living on their own and playing house. Armed with both a rifle and a bow and arrow, Edith fancies herself as the protector of the homestead, while Kenny is protective of her and his new boyfriend, sweet, nerdy Benji (the amazingly awkward Eddie Shields) when the latter is evicted from his home when his mother discovers their relationship. Watching the youngsters navigate school, homework, cooking, and transportation to lessons, often with little or nothing in the bank account, evokes thoughts of the Peanuts characters going about their daily lives with limited adult intervention. It almost seems normal, but eventually things go awry, reminding Edith and Kenny (and us) that they are only children. While it is a bitter pill for them to swallow, the medicine leads to growth and, arguably, a healthier outcome than might have been expected.

Company One Artistic Director Shawn LaCount is securely in touch with his inner child in his direction of Edith... and makes good use of the play area designed by Cristina M. Todesco (a rough hewn wooden structure that is part hayloft, part doll house), each of its tiers representing a different location (with help from lighting designer Jen Rock), among them Benji's room, the school library, and Edith's perch from which she protects the perimeter. Costume designer Rafael Jaen dresses Benji like the nerd that he is, and it makes sense that Edith prefers overalls to dresses with all of the climbing she does. Sound designer Ed Young provides ominous footsteps, a ringing phone, and synchronizes the "pop-pop" of Edith's rifle when the time comes for her to shoot something. Check out the orange old-fashioned dial telephone, courtesy of properties designer Molly FitzMaurice.

Clint Ramos performs double duty as scenic and costume designer on the Huntington production. His cozy set for Linda's store Books to the Sky is inviting and evocative of your favorite independent bookstore. With its narrow passageways and laden shelves, the store effectively begins to close in on Linda and Daniel as their secrets come to the surface. Ramos also employs a second tier that serves as Daniel's writing space, and Lap Chi Chu spotlights smaller areas for greater intensity in some scenes. Sound designer M.L. Dogg crafts a variety of ringtones and new age filler music between scenes.

This is not the first collaboration between the Huntington and Company One, as they joined with SpeakEasy Stage Company in 2010 to produce Annie Baker's The Vermont Plays. It is an interesting pairing as the two theater companies are quite diverse, both in size and demographics, but they both wished to introduce Pamatmat to Boston audiences and celebrate his work. It is a rare opportunity to see the juxtaposition of two very different works by one playwright and look for the ways in which they complement each other. In the hands of DuBois, LaCount and their outstanding casts, this double feature wins the perfecta.

after all the terrible things I do, performances through June 21, 2015, by Huntington Theatre Company at the Calderwood Pavilion, Wimberly Theatre, at the Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont Street, Boston, MA; Box Office 617-266-0800 or www.huntingtontheatre.org.

Written by A. Rey Pamatmat, Directed by Peter DuBois; Scenic & Costume Design, Clint Ramos; Lighting Design, Lap Chi Chu; Sound Design, M.L. Dogg; Production Stage Manager, Emily F. McMullen; Stage Manager, Kevin Schlagle

Cast: Zachary Booth, Tina Chilip

Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them, performances through June 27, 2015 by Company One at the Calderwood Pavilion, Deane Hall, Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont Street, Boston, MA; Box Office 617-933-8600 or www.companyone.org.

Written by A. Rey Pamatmat, Directed by Shawn LaCount; Dramaturg, Alexandra Juckno; Scenic Design, Cristina M. Todesco; Lighting Design, Jen Rock; Costume Design, Rafael Jaen; Sound Design, Ed Young; Properties Design, Molly FitzMaurice; Stage Manager, Kevin Deane Parker; Assistant Stage Managers, Arysbells Figueredo, Sara Hutchins

Cast: Maria Jan Carreon, Gideon Bautista, Eddie Shields

- Nancy Grossman