Let’s face it, our present government is fu**ed up! Open the papers, if you still read them, or turn on the TV, if you still watch it and all you see is B.S., corruption and favoritism, phoniness , exploitation and manipulation. Nuff said!
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| (Left to Right)Becca Myers, Katie MacNichol, Ben McClaren and Kailey Madoka Agpaoa |
In playwright Nina Kissinger’s recent offering, “This Is Government”, currently making it local premiere at Moxie Theatre, three government workers, 2 interns and one staff assistant are finishing up the day collecting press clippings and logging in calls and complaints from Congressman Bochman’s constituents.
Just before closing time, however, the building is put on lockdown due to a bomb threat from (good news, bad news) one of their regular callers concerned about how the Congressman will vote on his upcoming the ‘Saving the Health of Americans Today Act.’ He was all in (he sponsored the bill) now he is on the fence. Everyone, including the interns, question the Congressman’s motives, but more importantly, they eventually learn that they know who the caller is…but finding out why she is doing it poses a conundrum.
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| Katie MacNichol Ben McClaren and Kailey Madoka Agpaoa |
Kissinger’s workplace comedy-drama, suddenly turns into a modern day mystery/crisis peppered with office humor that sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t but under Executive Artistic Director Desirée Clarke Miller’s deft direction and with robot-like performances, the cast automatically move along perfectly doing same day same day work almost in slow motion. However, it isn’t until we finally meet the one person responsible for this entire scare, does Kissinger’s work shift into high gear.
Suddenly, a LOL comedy turns into real life situation and a somberness hangs over the audience in the final moments of this 90 minute ‘comedy’ that is, after all, not so funny given today’s politics of threats, gunmen storming the Capital, and actually taking over the Capital…while the president just watches.
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| Ben McClaren, Kailey Madoka Agpaoa and Becca Myers |
Blessed with a talented and strong, although somewhat over the top cast (the laugh lines need to be toned down) “This is Government” includes Becca Myers as Emi, Ben McClaren as Tip, Kelly Madoka as Kaz and Katie MacNichol as Stevie. Emi and Tad are the interns working as summer jobs for them for a small stipend and Kaz, the Congressman’s staff assistant earns much more.
Garnering the lion’s share of the laughs and lines, McClaren is an absolute find as the over the top homosexual who will not stand still or listen to any suggestions from his superior Kaz. Ms. Myers, who is a talented actor plays the role of a privileged child from a divorced family who has more hang-up’s/neuroses than a barrel of monkeys. Agpaoa plays Kaz with more intentionality, directed to doing the right thing and MacNichol’s Stevie (who claims to have a bomb) is the grounding force who gives substance to her grievances. MacNichol, has never disappointed in all the years of this reviewer seeing her on stage.
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| Kailey Madoka Agpaoa and Ben McClaren |
Heather Larson’s set design of mix and match office furniture, computers, file cabinets, pictures on the walls, a window and off to the side, a bench serves where we see Stevie for the first time, serve the play well. Tiffany Arita’s lighting is both appropriate during the gray out’s where the staff goes through their daily routine like robots. Is especially effective when the ‘bomb’ goes off. Sabrina Soto’s costumes are office manageable. Zoe Yahrling’s sound design, again, works well when the ‘staff’ goes robotic and Madison Mercado is stage manager.
In a recent interview, Ms. Kissinger said that, as she had indeed been put in a four hour lockdown, while serving as a student intern for a U.S. Congressman in North Carolina. . Although there never was a bomb and no one got hurt, the seed for this topic was planted; ergo, “This is Government”.
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| Katie MacNichol |
For something funny, something rather tragic and something in the present, you might want to catch “This is Government”.
Enjoy.
See you at the theatre.
When: Runs through Oct. 25. 7 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays.
Where: Moxie Theatre, 6663 El Cajon Blvd., Suite N, San Diego
Photo: Carli Kadel
Tickets: $20 and up
Online: moxietheatre.com
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