Watch the Two of Hearts | "Topdog/Underdog" @ Pas. Playhouse

[cahwyguy]

Just under two months after disastrous Eaton Fire that devastated the  Pasadena-adjacent community of Altadena, leading to the Pasadena Playhouse’s cancellation of the Jinx Monsoon concert version of Anything Goes as the venue (Pasadena Civic Auditorium) was in use as an evacuation center, we were back to the Pasadena Playhouse for theatre in the almost 100 year old structure that continues to survive and support its community with art. This time the production was Topdog / Underdog, a play by Suzan-Lori Parks that explores the relationship of two brothers who are hanging in there by their fingertips, abandoned by their support systems and doing their best to make it along.

The play revolves around two brothers—Booth and Lincoln—who live in a one room basement apartment with no running water or toilet facilities. Booth is unemployed, and wants to make a living hustling 3-card monte. Lincoln used to be a 3-card monte hustler, but after one of his hustling team was killed, he left the cards behind. He is now making his living wearing whiteface at an arcade, dressed as Abraham Lincoln, allowing players to shoot him. Booth has an unseen girlfriend, Grace, who he thinks is into him but never shows; Lincoln has an ex-wife who cheated on him with Booth.

In other words, these two have no luck.

The play itself is about their life: About Booth trying to become the 3-card monte hustler and getting the girl; about Lincoln losing his job, and losing his way. As this is explored, we learned about the family that brought them there: parents that cheated on each other and abandoned them. A life just barely skating by and on the edge. A life that is a mixture of optimism that they will find a better life, and the crushing reality of where they are.

But what is missing is the point.

In going from the beginning of a play to the end of a play, what makes the story is movement. I don’t mean movement in the choreography sense, but movement in the character sense. By the end of the play, we want the leads to be in a different place. They should have learned something. They should have gained something. They shouldn’t be where they were when the play started, at least in some sense (i.e., they can be in the same locale, but they should be smarter, better, perhaps able to do more). Something.

Here I’m not sure. Looking at Booth at the beginning of the play and Booth at the end of the play: What change is there? He’s still a poor 3-card monte hustler, with little hope in his life. In fact, at the end of the play, he arguably has less than he had in the beginning.

Perhaps it is the audience that had a learning arc? Perhaps watching the lives of Booth and Lincoln taught the audience something. Other than learning a bit about 3-card monte, I’m not sure what. The story was interesting, but I didn’t walk out with some deep new knowledge. What was the point of this story? Learning that life is gamble, a game? Learning that life is rigged?

Did the story say something about “topdogs” and “underdogs” at large? Lincoln was hardly a topdog: he was in a slightly better position, but it didn’t last. So I’m not sure the point of the story.

In summary: This was an interesting play and enjoyable to watch, but I left wondering about the point of it all.

———

Topdog/Underdog. Written by Suzan-Lori Parks. Directed by Gregg T. Daniel.

Cast: Brandon Gill Booth; Brandon Michael Hall Lincoln.

Production and Creatives: Tesshi Nakagawa Scenic Designer; Angela Balogh Calin Costume Designer; Jared A. Sayeg Lighting Designer; Jeff Gardner Sound Designer; Tru Original Compositions; Maritri Garrett Guitar Composition and Musical Performance Coach; Joyce Guy Movement Consultant; Sasha Nicolle Smith Intimacy and Fight Coordination; Sheila Dorn Hair & Makeup Consultation; Whit “Pop” Haydn Card Consultant; Ryan Bernard Tymensky CSA RBT Casting; Alyssa Escalante Stage Manager; Brian Semel Asst. Stage Manager.

♦ ♦ ♦

Administrivia: I am not a professional critic. I’m a cybersecurity professional, a roadgeek who does a highway site and a podcast about California Highways, and someone who loves live performance. I buy all my own tickets, unless explicitly noted otherwise. I do these writeups to share my thoughts on shows with my friends and the community. I encourage you to go to your local theatres and support them (ideally, by purchasing full price tickets, if you can afford to do so). We currently subscribe or have memberships at: Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre; Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages Theatre; Pasadena Playhouse; and 5-Star Theatricals. We’re looking for the right intimate theatre to subscribe at — it hasn’t been the same since Rep East died (it’s now The Main, and although it does a lot of theatre, it doesn’t have seasons or a resident company), and post-COVID, most 99-seaters aren’t back to doing seasons (or seasons we like). I used to do more detailed writeups; here’s my current approach.

Upcoming ♦ Theatre / ♣ Music / ◊ Other Live Performance – Next 90ish Days (⊕ indicates ticketing is pending).

• March: ♣ Nefesh Mountain at McCabes; ♦ Fake It Until You Make It at CTG/Taper; ✡ MRJ Man of the Year Dinner at Temple Beth Tikvah (Fullerton); ✡ MOTAS Poker Tournament at TAS; ♦ Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 at UCLA TFT; ♦ 44 at CTG/Kirk Douglas; ♣ Musique/Ray Charles at CTG/Taper; ♦ Cabaret at 5-Star Theatricals; ♦ Drat the Cat at Group Rep; ✡ MoTAS/MoTBH Mens Seder at TAS
• April:  ◊ Ren Faire (Southern); ✡ First Night of Passover; ⌬ California Science and Engineering Fair; ♦ All The Devils Are Here at the Broad;
• May: ♦ Life of Pi at CTG/Ahmanson; ⊕ ♦ Spitfire Grill at Actors Co-Op; ♦ A Dolls House, Part 2 at Pasadena Playhouse.
• June: ⊕ ♦ Flower Drum Song at East West Players; ♦ Parade at CTG/Ahmanson; and possibly some Hollywood Fringe Festival shows.

This entry was originally posted on Observations Along the Road as Watch the Two of Hearts | "Topdog/Underdog" @ Pas. Playhouse by cahwyguy. Although you can comment on DW, please make comments on original post at the Wordpress blog using the link to the left. You can sign in with your LJ, DW, FB, or a myriad of other accounts. Note: Subsequent changes made to the post on the blog are not propagated by the SNAP Crossposter; please visit the original post to see the latest version. P.S.: If you see share buttons above, note that they do not work outside of the Wordpress blog.