A Passion for Education

There is no denying that, right now, some of the most outspoken, smartest, most passionate voices for the evolution of public policy are also some of the youngest. From Black Lives Matter to Parkland, teenagers angry with the country they’ve inherited and the forces that are placing their lives and the lives of innocents like them on the twin altars of manufacturing and special interest lobbying. In its very prescient way, Education, a new play by Brian Dykstra now playing at 59E59 Theaters, is just as its title suggests: a short but broad-reaching primer to the progressive teenage revolution. It has emotional charge, it has a phenomenal cast, and while it does have its problems, it also carries a rare message of kindness.

Matthew Boston and Wesley T. Jones

Putting aside for the moment the progressive playbook, Education speaks well to the things that connect us rather than the things that tear us apart, though there are plenty of those things as well. There are generational rifts, the ongoing tug of war between an increasingly “conservative” evangelical Christianity and modern, ethical atheism. There is tension between educators and what constitutes a true and valuable Education, and whether that can include subjects that might not be deemed universally appropriate but may be crucial for the development of a strong moral code and a catalyst for personal growth.

The actors in this production are, without exception, excellent. Matthew Boston as Gordon balances humor, empathy, and sarcasm, wrapping them in a very palatable progressive idealist who emphasizes kindness and questions any actions or motives that would remove those qualities from the world. Elizabeth Meadows Rouse is Sandy, the perfectly quaffed confection of a Christian mother whose sugary sweetness is an attempt to mask the troubling dynamic between her family.  She is the embodiment of a certain kind of hypocrisy that we see so much of these days, demanding others do as she says but ignoring all the problems with what she says and how she lives. The interplay between Sandy and Gordon is something of a liberal fantasy scene, wherein reason and heartfelt appeals to humanity overshadow blind faith and a devotion to that uniquely American interpretation of Jesus. 

Wesley T. Jones and Bruce Faulk

Bruce Faulk, who has seen Education through much of its development, is High School Principal Mr. Kirks. This is the one character whose motives are difficult to understand. Is he a villain? He appears to be for most of the play. And while a scene at the end suggests a change of heart, it doesn’t make up for the absence of a moment of being and truth that triggers that change. It certainly doesn’t make up for his antagonism toward his students or the very real threats he delivers in response to their bids for individuality through artistic expression. In that he acts more like a bully than even a tough-love educator.

Wesley T. Jones and Jane West are Mick and Bekka, the black atheist artist and white Christian poet in love with life and each other and the hope of a better, brighter, more honest future. Is there a hint of the “manic pixie dreamgirl” about her? There is. Does he make a statement at the end that kind of suggests a white savior situation between them that breaks down everything that he has been built up to be throughout the course of the rest of the play? Kinda. These are some of those problems mentioned earlier. But when the two really let loose, they are wonderful together and individually. 

There is a point in the play at which Mick makes a decision regarding his and Bekka’s place on the global stage, but it isn’t really clear who he’s helping by doing so. Everyone fully acknowledges that he’ll be hurting himself by doing it, but where is the real driving force behind it. What is he saving? His girlfriend? Her father? For a couple of characters who seem to suffer for the urgency of truth, it’s a highly uncharacteristic move to make. Not having a scene to explain it a little better, like one between Mick and Bekka’s father for example, keeps the decision from being fully understandable. 

Jane West and Wesley T. Jones 

Director Margaret Perry elected to make use of a very simple stage and set, which consists of a blocky divider, a desk, some chairs. The simple stage allows time between scenes to keep to a bare minimum, keeping the action flowing smoothly.  The blank slate the set provides is used to create some powerful images scattered throughout, not the least significant being the flames that set the entire play in motion. Would real flames, not present in the first performance but called for in the script, really add that much to the performance? It’s debatable, and may actually be a disruption to the pacing and audience attention.

Brian Dykstra’s script is funny and clever, though there is a tendency to make very statement-y statements, especially in the first scenes when a lot of current events exposition comes tumbling out of Mick’s mouth. It is at its best when it appeals to the better person in each of us, who we could be with kindness and open minds. When it’s confrontational, as often happens when we argue, it gets a little muddled and confused. But the lasting impression is one of hope, and in days like these, isn’t that what we all want?

Photos by Carol Rosegg
Top photo: Elizabeth Meadows Rouse and Jane West

Education
Written by Brian Dykstra
Directed by Margaret Perry
Produced by Sanguine Theatre Company
59E59 Theaters
Through April 8, 2018