One of theater’s greatest strengths is its ability to
illuminate the experience of the underrepresented, the marginalized, and the
disregarded. A timely play can foster connection and understanding where there
was once alienation and confusion. “Tribes,” a play by Nina Raine, attempts to
draw from this strength, with limited success.
It’s not that this production of “Tribes” — presented by the
National Technical Institute for the Deaf’s Performing Arts Program and RIT’s
College of Liberal Arts — is without spark. Led by director Jerry Argetsinger,
the cast brings passion and energy, but it seems hamstrung by a script that is
ultimately unfocused and unable to build on the empathy it seeks to engender.
“Tribes” is the story of Billy, a young deaf man whose
parents raised him apart from the deaf community and without the aid of sign
language. When Billy falls in love with a woman named Sylvia, who is losing her
hearing, he becomes immersed in the deaf community. Tensions arise as he begins
to understand the emotional consequences of his separation from the people to
whom he might best relate.
If the playwright had focused on Billy’s inner workings and
his struggle to find a true sense of home, the humor-infused drama may have had
more potency. But apart from one cathartic scene, Billy’s motivations and
emotional vantage point are left grossly underdeveloped. The central
character’s experience is referred to constantly, but gets superficial mention
instead of thorough exploration.
Instead, “Tribes” is really more about Billy’s dysfunctional
family — his cynical, disapproving, and overly crass father, Christopher; his
erratic and hypercritical brother, Daniel; his doting and protective mother
Beth; and his self-involved sister Ruth — and the toxic culture that their
in-fighting creates. And while Beth and Ruth are somewhat empathetic figures
(played by Jen Moore and Katharyn Head, respectively) all of the characters are
drawn sharply and without nuance. The bristling piquancy of their personalities
belie a one-dimensionality, as if Raine regards her characters with a certain
amount of scorn that prevents her from revealing their innate humanity.
As a family drama, “Tribes” works rather well. The collective
combative nature of Billy’s family is palpable, and the stark contrast of
Billy’s affability — played by the likeable Matthew Schwartz — underscores their disconnect. Tom Weymann turns in a robust performance
as Christopher, and Meredith Lipman is endearing as Sylvia. But it’s Adrian
Svenson, as Daniel, whose compelling portrayal is most impactful. Svenson’s
commitment to communicating the character’s distraught nature is mesmerizing;
Daniel’s hyperactive and unstable energy provides many of the scenes with
much-needed momentum.
In a family consumed by its own self-absorption and
faux-intellectual fascinations, Daniel is the physical manifestation of their
dysfunction, failures, and unhappiness. While his love for Billy often seems
manipulative and selfish, it serves to hide deeper fears of alienation. These
fears become more apparent and spread to other members of the family as Billy
finds connection with others in the deaf community.
Dramatically speaking, “Tribes” has staying power. But
ultimately, the play can’t seem to decide whether it is about Billy’s search
for community or his family’s tenuous bond with him. Unfortunately, Raines
alludes to Billy’s frustrations without actually addressing them, and in an
attempt to articulate his crippling home environment, the drama loses its grip
on how Billy’s home life might be reconciled to his burgeoning experience.
In an interesting coincidence, Nazareth College will produce
a run of “Tribes” on February 12 through February 21 at Studio Theatre A48 at
Nazareth College Arts Center (4245 East Avenue). The back-to-back productions
was not planned. For more information, visit naz.edu/dept/theatre-dance.
This article appears in Feb 3-9, 2016.
