Review: WHAT RHYMES WITH AMERICA—The Crossroad Between Hopelessness and Possibilities

There's nothing as isolating as existing in a denial so absolute that the ability to see beyond current miseries is occluded, and visions of a genuine future are corrupted by false hope. What Rhymes with America, by Melissa James Gibson, renders the disappointments associated with accepting unappealing realities by enshrouding characters so deeply in the purgatorial fog of their lives-in-transition that they cannot see the road ahead. Directed by Peter Frisch and presented by The Producing Unit, What Rhymes with America is a stirring portrayal of souls lost along life's highway, somewhere in between here and there.

Ultimately about the confusion of working through an intermediate stage in life, Gibson's play follows four characters, each at a crossroad. Will Lydia (Deborah Bertling) ever evolve from her stunted adulthood, characterized by an unwillingness to engage in romantic relationships? Will Sheryl (Ivy Vahanian) find the self-possession to ground herself enough to end the cycle of career self-destruction? Will Hank (Bill Egan) move past the delusion of reuniting with his ex-wife? Will his daughter, Marlene (Ariel Eakin), find the strength to both nurture and distance herself from her father's emotional neediness and dysfunction?

Other than teenage Marlene, the characters in this play have forgotten how to navigate life, or perhaps never learned the skill in the first place. As with all stories about transitions, the end is actually the beginning, and What Rhymes With America leaves audiences with potent curiosities about where, exactly, these characters will go after the lights go out. This question is most demanding for Hank, a man-child who never achieved the success he felt he deserved. He's a middle-aged loser without career stability, and his ex-wife refuses to deal with him or allow him interaction with his daughter. He's angry, but doesn't fully comprehend his emotional state, and his resentment manifests as impotence and whining that evolves into panic as the fog lifts and cognizance of his inertia becomes unavoidable and overwhelming. Egan gives an impressive performance that hits agonizing notes of humor and sadness.

The adult characters are so overburdened by their situations that they barely handle productive interactions with each other. They speak, but have trouble listening--Gibson's dialogue is tender and amusing, and the conversations are expertly crafted to show the characters' tendencies toward self-centered emotional vampirism. The exception is Marlene, who recognizes the likelihood of achieving comparative mediocrity--but also understands that being average doesn't equate with living a cursed life. Her mature, grounded outlook likely comes from her awkward position in the middle of her parents' ugly divorce: she's constantly running interference between Hank and his ex-wife, who, despite never appearing on stage, is a looming presence.

Eakin gives a powerful performance--a faithful portrayal of a frustrated teenager who's learned from her parents' sloppy emotional discord that idealism is frivolous and unreliable. She urges her father to take a less pathetic position, even though her own power is restrained by the fact that she's only allowed to speak to him through a closed door. She gently reminds him of his responsibilities as an adult by asking for overdue allowance money; her discomfort is palpable, her back to the door, her father's distress just beyond the barrier. She sings and strums a guitar and wishes she could stop crying, which is perhaps the key: she recognizes her despondency, and is therefore able to see a direction toward something different; unlike Sheryl, who sees the finish line but not the path to get there; or Lydia, who's unwilling to traverse the path at all; or Hank, who's only able to see the path behind him.

The humor of this show is naturally occurring within the spectacular awkwardness of the characters rather than written into purposefully clever dialogue. Simple, profound realism layers comedy neatly into quirky, messy dissatisfaction as characters try, with varying levels of ineptitude, to hold their unhappiness at arm's length. Themes of separation and connection are explored, and much of the show overlaps and dovetails, intertwining these opposing concepts. Connection between characters is so close it seems tangible--yet tragically fleeting. With excellent acting from all performers and subtle, in-depth direction by Peter Frisch, who highlights "the facets of all of these lives gone wrong: the embarrassing, ugly, poignant, melancholic, miscommunicated, estranged, insecure, impulsive, painful, hopeful, numbing, defensive, denied, desperate, free-falling moments," What Rhymes With America is hilarious and haunting, a play that forces a conversation about the decision to move forward or stand still.

What Rhymes With America
By Melissa James Gibson
Directed by Peter Frisch

September 25th - October 4th
At Center Stage Theater