BWW Reviews: Woolly Mammoth's APPROPRIATE is Explosive, Engaging, and Unique

Dysfunctional families and hidden secrets. Ah, a topic ripe for theatricalization. Many have tried and some even succeed. Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' Appropriate, currently in production at Washington's daring Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company is definitely on the success side of the ever moving barrier. A stellar cast with thoughtful direction from Liesl Tommy allows the very best of Jacobs-Jenkins' engaging and unique script to shine through.

Certainly, the idea of shaping a story around a less-than-close-knit family coming together in the heat of the summer with the cicadas a-buzzing (impressive sound design by Broken Chord) to deal with the patriarch's estate following his death isn't a novel one. Fundamentally, neither is the idea those rivalry-filled, power-desiring siblings and their own (sometimes equally dysfunctional) families discover some secrets hidden away in the piles and piles of possessions in their father's huge, but now decrepit, plantation home (fantastically and meticulously designed by Clint Ramos) in the south.

Now all together again, the Lafayette's must clear away the skeletons (in this case, possibly incriminating photos), reconcile who they are as a family unit, understand where they come from as individuals, and consider how to move past the numerous grudges they hold with one another and, in some cases, with the deceased.

What makes Jacobs-Jenkins' script so fascinating is that he weaves together these tropes with a thoughtful and purposeful examination of racial prejudices in the south in a way that's not necessarily heavy-handed, preachy, or even all too familiar, but comes off as enormously original and authentic. As presented by the Woolly Mammoth cast, a believable situation emerges and it's likely we can all see a specific someone and/or relationship that we recognize.

There's Antoinette ("Tom") the now divorced, control freak daughter with a messed up son Rhys, who wants to remember her 'daddy' in the best of light (Deborah Hazlett and Josh Adams, respectively). There's the wayward, long-lost brother Frank ("Franz") and his well-meaning, slightly 'granola' younger girlfriend, River (Tim Getman and Caitlin McColl). Then there's the interfaith family with a successful and all-knowing patriarch (Beauregarde "Bo," played by David Bishins), a tightly wound 'helicopter' mother (Rachael, played by Beth Hylton), and two precocious children - teenager Cassidy (Maya Brettell) and younger brother Ainsley (Cole Edelstein, in a role shared with Eli Schulman).

All of the actors add wonderful dimensions to their colorful characters. Jacobs-Jenkins may use archetypes as a basis for creating all of them (particularly River and Rachael), but mostly resists any temptation to take the easy way out and make everyone seem like a cartoon as sometimes can be the case with these kinds of family-centric dramatic plays. It's easy to see everyone's point of view and why they have it as they navigate their messy world which is in part thanks to the nearly flawless acting.

At times Hazlett can be caustic and the next minute heart-breaking, bringing a real sense of humanity to her role. Although the play is an ensemble piece, her character is definitely a center piece and she more than rises to the occasion. Adams, likewise, is able to show vulnerability and fearlessness as a young man who's gotten himself into a bit of legal trouble and is not sure where he stands in the world.

Getman and McColl play off each other exceedingly well and both display an equal knack for comedy. Bishins and Hylton prove adept at displaying an array of raw emotions even as they try to hold it all together. Brettell, whom I regard as one of DC's best child/teenage actors, has a natural acting ability that defies her age and can hold her own in any scene as an awkward, but all-knowing teenager who's not quite a child, but not quite an adult. Edelstein, even with his comparatively little stage time, also makes an impression thanks to his non-cloying acting and boundless energy.

Although Jacobs-Jenkins' explosive script tends to drag slightly in the overly long second act and an ambiguous ending is both a blessing and a curse, I'd venture to say that this is one of the strongest new plays I've seen at Woolly in recent memory.

Although not a world premiere - it first premiered at the Humana Festival of New American Plays in 2012 - this production continues Woolly's trend of introducing interesting work to contemporary theatre audiences that's likely to have a life elsewhere. That, to my mind, is a valuable and worthwhile endeavor.

Running Time: Approximately 2 hours and 25 minutes, including an intermission.

Appropriate plays at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company - 641 D Street, NW in Washington, DC - through December 1, 2013. For tickets, call the box office at 202-393-3939 or purchase them online.

Photo: By Stan Barouh (left to right - Beth Hylton, Caitlin McColl, Maya Brettell, Tim Getman, David Bishins, Deborah Hazlett)

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