Review of MCC Theater's Collective Rage: A Play in 5 Betties at Lucille Lortel Theatre
Jen Silverman's Collective Rage: A Play in 5 Betties is as smart and unflinching as it is funny. The New York premiere is a riveting rollercoaster, powered by the sensitive direction of Mike Donahue, and the dazzling performances of all 5 Betties. Bravo to MCC Theater for picking a winner, and to canny audiences who look to Off-Broadway for their theater choices.
If you didn't have an idea of what your evening was going to be like when you arrive, you figure it out pretty quickly. The stage is bare of any furniture, but over the top, in big letters, is projected the following: "IN ESSENCE, A QUEER AND OCCASIONALLY HAZARDOUS EXPLORATION; DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN YOU WERE IN MIDDLE SCHOOL AND YOU READ ABOUT SHACKLETON AND HOW HE EXPLORED THE ANTARCTIC?; IMAGINE THE ANTARCTIC AS A PUSSY AND IT'S SORT OF LIKE THAT."
Betty 2 (Adina Verson), who turns out to be the most daring Shackleton of the bunch, is a middle class, repressed and friendless young married woman. Her journey begins with a first time look at her pussy in a hand mirror during a dinner party thrown by Betty 3 (Ana Villafañe). (By the way, if you're not comfortable with the word "pussy", this play is not for you.) Betty 3 is a beautiful, volatile, bi-sexual Latinx who is constantly getting into fights wherever she goes. She quits her hated job at Sephora after seeing her first play and deciding that what she wants is a life in the thea-tuh.
The only other guest at this "lesbian dinner party" (titled by Betty 2) is Betty 3's childhood friend, Betty 4 (Lea DeLaria). Who is, in fact, a melancholy butch lesbian who spends her days working on her truck with Betty 5 and mooning after Betty 3. Her exploratory journey takes her from dreaming to action. Betty 5 (Chaunté Wayans) is a self-described "gender-non-conforming masculine-presenting female-bodied individual. But I'm comfortable with female pronouns." Fresh out of rehab, she owns her own hole-in-the-wall boxing gym. She's always been a player, smooth and charismatic, she doesn't go in for relationships, just hook-ups. But her latest conquest has unexpectedly wormed her way into Betty 5's heart and she has to explore these new feelings.
But this whole thing started with a dinner party thrown by Betty 1 (Dana Delany). Betty 1 is a very rich, unhappy, Upper East Side wife who operates on rage and stress. She tries to combat the mounting tension (and prove she's not a, you know, racist) by throwing a dinner party for Betty 2, and the "sassy and no-nonsense" clerk she met at Sephora, Betty 3. But all Betty 3 wants to talk about is sex, and Betties 1 & 2 declare it not a fit topic for a dinner party. At which point, Betty 3 gets real:
BETTY 3: This is a boring-ass dinner party.
BETTY 1: That. Is the point. Of a dinner party.
BETTY 3: Oh. Okay. Well. In that case, I'm gonna throw my own dinner party.
Betty 1 has a tough journey ahead of her. She is filled with rage and fear and has to figure out where it's coming from and how to make herself feel better. Dana Delany does a masterful job of staying in the present with Betty 1 and letting each moment happen. As they do with dizzying speed when she goes from calm and proper Upper East Side matron, to screaming and out-of-control, to giggling middle school girl.
In fact, all the actors are superb. Adina Verson absolutely stole my heart with her skillful, sensitive, no-holds-barred portrayal of Betty 2 in Collective Rage: A Play in 5 Betties. I can only say bravo to a performance that requires the actor to take her character through such painful self-examination when it's done so well. Ana Villafañe is all fire and flash as the inimitable Betty 3, but utterly believable. She doesn't pander to the character or dumb her down but plays her with intelligence and heart. Betty 3 is a true Don Quixote figure but Ms. Villafañe's characterization gives her dignity and importance. Lea DeLaria is perfectly cast in the role of Betty 4. She's a hoot and a holler and you can't help but root for her. Chaunté Wayans is a revelation. Yes, she's one of those Wayans', but don't expect a comedian on stage. This is a nuanced performance by a gifted actor. Ms. Wayans gave the role gravitas and a feeling of rootedness that was impressive. You feel that Betty 5 was someone who knew who s/he was. Impressive for a character who was exploring feelings for the first time.
While I'm praising the cast of Collective Rage: A Play in 5 Betties, I have to give a shout out to the talented production team. For playwright Jen Silverman and director Mike Donahue, this isn't their first rodeo together. So, the choice of a male director for this decidedly female work is not as risky as it seems. Likewise, Donohue and Scenic Designer Dane Laffrey have worked together a dozen times before, which makes this collaboration a gimmee. I know I told you the stage was bare, but I won't spoil it for you...you have to go see it for yourself.
(Photo by Joan Marcus)
What the popular press says...
"If you're wondering whether you'll enjoy the revolution, Jen Silverman's Collective Rage: A Play in 5 Betties, which opened on Wednesday night at the Lucille Lortel Theater in Manhattan, makes an excellent (and hilarious) test case. The revolution I mean is the feminist one that has been rumbling, like a nascent earthquake, beneath the American theater for decades. In the past year, it feels as if it has finally struck, in the process swallowing up every worn-out assumption about casting, subject matter, programming, leadership, inclusion — and criticism."
Jesse Green for New York Times
"Jen Silverman's comedy is perfectly nonsensical in its telling exploration of five women's very fluid sex life."
Robert Hofler for The Wrap
"The actresses throw themselves into their roles with admirable fearlessness and energy, while Mike Donahue's staging seems designed to keep things moving quickly enough to help us overlook the writing's scattershot elements. Throughout the proceedings, props small and large periodically fall onto the stage from overhead. The pointless visual gag only serves as a reminder of the randomness of the play itself."
Frank Scheck for Hollywood Reporter
"Anger, love, and loneliness are comedically but honestly rendered in this occasionally absurd, stylized, queer-centric play that speaks openly and often about p---y."
Nicole Serratore for Variety
External links to full reviews from popular press...
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