Sulfur Bottom Off-Broadway Reviews

In addition to the serious and timely themes, Varma injects touches of humor and an overriding sense of absurdism into the play. Set in the interior of the old increasingly deteriorating house, the sometimes confusing story moves back and forth in time and dimension, from living characters in present-day scenes to their memories and revealed secrets of the past, imaginings and post-mortem appearances, as they discuss their dilapidated home, disagree over what to do with it, and ultimately come together as a bonded family, joking over dinner (be it in the mind or in the afterlife) on the site of the no-longer extant house.

I came to see Sulfur Bottom written by Rishi Varma and directed by Megumi Nakamura at The Theater Center fearing a sermon about how we Earth inhabitants are destroying the future with our unconscious lifestyles. But rather than coming away feeling guilty and possessing no ideas for corrective action, I can report that what I experienced was a living portrait of a family surviving existence on a choking planet while still reaching for joy, love, belonging and understanding of one another. The consciousness of these characters moves through all states – the unitary, the dream state, the mystical and the indescribable. All this through using broad strokes of time-travel, shape-shifting and symbols of transformation as illustrative vehicles. Rather than pulled by our ears to hard conclusions, the audience is gently held in revelatory visions.

Some elements of the play come off as unfinished; for one, I could never quite wrap my head around the concept of a whale terrorizing a small town. Sulfur Bottom feels like it needs more development to reach its full potential, but Varma’s message is still powerful: If the only path towards a better life cuts you off from the people who love you, how could future generations ever come to terms with the choices of their forebears?

For all its aspiration, Sulfur Bottom feels more like a workshop draft than a finished play. Its mix of social indictment, family drama, and absurdist allegory never coheres, and its earnest themes collapse under the weight of muddled storytelling. As one theatergoer muttered while leaving: “What was that?!” Which, in truth, was a lot nicer than what my theater companion declared.