It’s the twentysomething Catch-22: You can’t get experience without a job. You can’t get a job without experience. But in the throes of the worst economic recession since the 1930s, this crisis gets all the more menacing for young adults. No job (or trustfund)? No apartment. No relationship. No survival. And maybe for some, the scariest consequence of them all: Moving back in with the ‘rents.
These are some of the scenarios in The Great Recession, a series of six 10-minute plays that explore how the recession has impacted the younger generation. Produced by the Flea, one of the leading off-off-Broadway nonprofit theaters in the city, and performed by their talented resident young company the Bats (a repertory that annually attracts more than 1,000 aspiring actors to audition), the plays are by turns surreally disturbing, delightfully comedic, and endearingly bizarre. Some exaggerate the recession to apocalyptic proportions, while others subtly study how relationships and emotions fluctuate in time with the stock market. All are imaginative depictions of how humans handle hard times:
Classic Kitchen Timer, written and directed by Adam Rapp — An absolute jolt that starts off the evening, this contemporary tale pits a desperate, uninsured, 26-year-old laid-off meat cutter against a gruesome offer: Kill a baby and earn $25,000. Whoever stops her (i.e. anyone in the audience) will earn $25,000 instead — but must face another deadly catch. Tense and provoking, this nightmarish drama gives a new disturbing meaning to “human resource” as well as food for thought on just how far people are willing to go when they have nothing.
Dorien Makhlogi & Jessica Pohly in "Fucked" by Itamar Moses as part of THE GREAT RECESSION at The Flea Theater. All photos by Ryan Jensen.
Fucked, by Itamar Moses, directed by Michelle Tattenbaum – By far my favorite work of the night, this was welcome comedic relief after the intensity of the previous play. A young woman plans on joining her boyfriend on a trip that’s funded by his Wall Street father. Little does she know that he wants to go alone and use this chance to gain some distance and “clarify things.” The ensuing “are-you-breaking-up-with-me” drama is some of the most realistic and entertaining couple banter I’ve seen, thanks in no small part to impeccable chemistry between Jessica Pohly and Dorien Makhloghi. As they say, you don’t know a good thing until it’s gone.
New York Living, by Thomas Bradshaw, directed by Ethan McSweeney — Young actors deal with lost apartments and sexual frustration while trying to win a Tony Award. While not as sharp and biting as Fucked, this is an amusing tongue-in-cheek comedy on how the recession impacts the economics of love.
Severed, by Erin Courtney, directed by David McCallum – My second fave of the night featured an unlikely romance that springs up in the waiting room before an interview. At one point, the young woman (Amy Jackson) wears a giant eunuch head and breaks into a song/dance number. It’s kind of like that Friends episode when Monica sticks her head into a turkey — hysterical. We’ve all heard how it’s important to stand out from the pack in an interview. Oh, does she stand out.
Ronald Washington & Amy Jo Jackson in "Severed" by Erin Courtney as part of THE GREAT RECESSION at The Flea Theater.
Recess, by Sheila Callaghan, directed by Kip Fagan – After intermission, we were back in the recession’s doom and gloom again. And it doesn’t get darker and more desperate than the tiny studio shared by 11 out-of-work young New Yorkers. Here, the recession is at its most cataclysmic, as people are reduced to zombie-like skeletons subsisting on mere morsels of food. None of these survivors are all that likable, but each will make your stomach churn with hunger during their hair-raising “dinner scene.”
Unum, by Will Eno, directed by Jim Simpson – The least accessible of all the six plays, this drama about the power of the dollar takes us from the board room of a diaper factory to the lunch room of a government currency printing facility. Storylines feel scattered, but may be relatable for anyone who’s felt innocently victimized by this recession.
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The Great Recession plays at The Flea Theater (41 White between Broadway and Church) through Dec. 30, 2009. Tickets: $25.
Last 5 posts by Pearl Chen
- Monetizing Emma - August 17th, 2010
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- Million Dollar Quartet - June 1st, 2010
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