Can anyone doubt that the last couple of theater seasons have been driven by celebrity performers? How can you miss a play that stars James Spader, Richard Thomas, David Alan Grier, and Kerry Washington? And make no mistake, there’s a reason these people are stars. The stage fairly crackles with electricity. The main problem is, I think I would have rather seen the rehearsals. I know I would have gone out for drinks with the cast afterward.
The plot of Race is very simple. A man (Thomas) seeks legal representation after having been accused of raping a black woman in a hotel room. The lawyers (Spader and Grier) must decide whether or not to take his case. An African American female associate in the firm (Washington) is asked to help the defense by wearing a copy of the red sequined dress that becomes the centerpiece of contention.
What doesn’t hang together is the motivation that should provide the key to the plot. Where is the scene when Washington’s character makes up her mind about her actions? What, exactly, has or hasn’t the accused man done, and how does he really feel? Wait, I think there was a play like this, and it was called Doubt. In this case, I don’t doubt that here, Mamet has been a better director than playwright. The production, which is only 100 minutes to begin with, races along without a falter or misstep. In terms of acting and directing, this is how it’s done, folks. What happens when Race hits the Community Players Little Theater remains to be seen.
Race raises a lot of questions that the thinking person will certainly ponder. What is rape, prostitution, exploitation? Why do people lie? What do we do when career aspirations and conscience collide? Is it true that, as Spader puts it, “Blacks have shame, Jews have guilt” as a maxim that explains motivation? Or, as said by Grier, “There’s nothing a white person can say to a black person that isn’t offensive?” At heart, do all African Americans believe they can’t trust any Caucasians? Shouldn’t the client get the comfortable chair? And how the heck does a presumably straight guy know so much about sequins, anyway?
I also think we have to face our own preconceptions about these actors. Spader is automatically the shady lawyer who’ll do anything for a buck, right? To a whole lot of us, Thomas can never actually do anything wrong; he’ll always have that open, honest face, that sweet voice that wishes us “goodnight.” Washington is flat out gorgeous, and those amazing legs are distraction enough to make us wonder about her. As for Grier, the audience is quick to laugh, because we know he’s a funny guy. For another really fine Grier performance, check out the movie Return To Me. Yes, we do come in expecting certain things which, I suppose, also applies to how the races perceive each other.
I don’t have a whole lot of white guilt, possibly because my ancestors were kicked around themselves for centuries. But I am quick to want to be non-offensive, and having been raised to believe that “black” was better than “Negro,” which was better than “colored,” all of which were way better than that “N” word which is used in the play, I do ask if “African American” is the term my friends prefer. Some say yes, some say no.
I would have loved to have seen more in Race about the relationship between the lawyers played by Spader and Grier. They seem to be so in sync, even when they disagree radically. Why does this relationship work so well?
This is not the usual Mamet play; there’s a whole lot less profanity, for one thing. But the rhythm is still there, and the need to hit the words exactly still applies. The ping pong game is essential.
Which brings us to the crux of the matter. Of course you have to see this play. Of course you can’t miss the dynamic combination of Spader, Thomas, Grier, Washington, and Mamet. Just please, make sure you have time afterward for the all questions.
Race
Ethel Barrymore Theatre
243 West 47th Street
Tickets: www.RaceOnBroadway.com
Telecharge 212-239-6200
$59.50-$251.50
Michall Jeffers is an accomplished cultural journalist. Her eponymous cable TV show is syndicated throughout the tri-state area, and features celebrity interviews, reviews, and commentary. She writes extensively, both in print and online. She is an active member of Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, American Theatre Critics Association, International Association of Theatre Critics, Dance Critics Association, and National Book Critics Circle.
