Reviewed by Judd Hollander
Red Bull Theater forgoes any kind
of subtlety and nuance in presenting The Government Inspector. Adapted
by Jeffrey Hatcher from Nikolai Gogol's 1836 work Revizor, the piece is
a no-holds-barred satire of greed and corruption as told with the decorum of a
Marx Brothers movie and a slight dash of
Blazing Saddles.
For local officials in a provincial
Russian town in 1836, padding one's pocket has long since become a matter of
routine. There's the Judge (Tom Alan Robbins) who takes great pride in never
taking money to decide a case - he takes bribes in the form of farm animals and
game; the Hospital Director (Stephen DeRosa), who, after siphoning away much of
the money earmarked for construction of a hospital, promotes the tiny structure
actually built as a place for sick children; and the Postmaster (Arnie Burton)
who makes it a habit of reading every bit of mail he receives before sending it
on. Riding herd over this group of reprobates is Anton Antonovich (Michael
McGrath), the town's oh-so-full-of-himself mayor.
However the gravy train these
people have so long enjoyed is now threatened. There being news that a
government inspector has arrived in the district. One tasked with ferreting out
local corruption and reporting it to the central office. Hearing of
newly-arrived stranger, one Ivan Alexandreyevich Hlestakov (Michael Urie),
Anton and the others conclude he is the inspector, and set about trying to win
him over to their side. First with veiled speeches and later with outright
bribery. All in an attempt to convince him to write a favorable report to his
superiors.
As quickly made clear, Ivan is not
a government inspector at all. Rather, he is a wastrel in his own right. A
man with a rich pedigree, his love for the gaming tables serves to keep him in
the poor house. This despite his many efforts to changes his ways. Ivan's
protestations of his ill-fated luck, and his regular attempts to kill himself,
looked upon with genial bemusement by his trusted servant Osip (Burton ).
At first not sure of what to make
of the sudden attention he is receiving, Ivan quickly determines to milk as
much as he can from those vying for his favor - and to do it for as long as
possible.
Subtle political satire this is
not. Hatcher doing a great job in pulling the various messages from the Gogol
text and presenting them in a situation quite connective to present day
reality. In a particularly wise choice, any mention of the current political
administration is avoided. The work instead offering a scathing overlook at the
entire bureaucratic process in general. Including jabs at political,
legal, educational and numerous other such institutions.
Also quite refreshingly, there is
not a single redeeming character to be had in the entire play. Those inhabiting
this realm either trying to
better their fortunes at the expense of others, or letting themselves simply be
carried along for the ride. Osip and Grusha (Mary Lou Rosato), a maid who works
for the Mayor's family, falling into the latter category.
If there’s any in The Government
Inspector who are actually deserving of sympathy, it would have to be the
shopkeepers and merchants of the village. Denizens of the lower working class
and abused by the system for so long, they, like everybody else, buy into the
theory of money spread around in the rights places as being the only answer.
Especially when it comes to Urie’s government inspector. A person whom they
hope will finally set things right.
Kudos to director Jesse Berger for
helping to bring out a brilliant sense of comic timing from the company. From a
bit of door slamming nonsense to the asides the different characters make as
they try to puzzle out the situations in which they find
themselves. Scenic designer Alexis Distler’s split-level set works nicely
here, as do the enjoyable period costumes by Tilly Grimes.
Urie is great fun as Ivan. A hapless
sad sack suddenly treated like royalty, he acts like a kid in a candy store
with an unlimited amount of money to spend. All the while showing himself to be
just as unethical as those around him. In a particularly hilarious scene,
Ivan deliveries a speech filled with code words for the mayor's love-starved
wife Anna, (Mary Testa), and her somewhat shrewish daughter Marya (Talene
Monahon). Each of the ladies having their own particular plans for Ivan. Or so
they believe.
McGrath is wonderful as the Mayor.
He trying desperately to keep his personal fiefdom afloat, only to watch it
become more and more a house of cards. Of his partners in crime, Burton
steals the show as the preening Postmaster. Someone who thinks nothing of
reading everybody’s mail, but god forbid he be ordered to speed up the
postal delivery process. Burton also
provides a generous helping of wry with his comments as Osip, Ivan’s
seen-it-all servant. Monahon is nicely appealing as Marya. She being the
closest thing to a sympathetic character the play has to offer. It also helps
that she has an excellent rapport with Urie in their scenes
together. Testa adds some nice comic touches as Anna.
A rollicking farce showing how the
more things change, the more they stay the same - The Government Inspector
also puts forth the reality of how one’s downfall is quite often by one’s own
hand. Especially when one gets too big for their own britches.
Featuring: Michael Urie (Ivan
Alexandreyevich Hlestakov), Arnie Burton (Osip, The Postmaster), Michael
McGrath (Anton Antonovich), Mary Testa (Anna Andreyevna), Talene Monahon (Marya
Antonovna), Mary Lou Rosato (Grusha, The Locksmith’s Wife, The Waitress,
Constable), Tom Alan Robbins (The Judge, Abdullin), David Manis (The School
Principal, Pentelaeyev), Stephen DeRosa (The Hospital Director, Chernaeyev),
Luis Moreno (Svetsunov, An Imperial Messenger), Ryan Garbayo (Bobchinsky), Ben
Mehl (Dobchinsky), Kelly Hutchinson (The Corporal’s Widow, The Innkeeper’s
Wife, Constable).
The Government Inspector
Adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher
From Revizor by Nikolai
Gogol
Set Design: Alexis Distler
Costume Design: Tilly Grimes
Lighting Design: Megan Lang, Peter
West
Sound Design & Original
Musical: Greg Pliska
Hair & Wig Design: David Bova
Production Stage Manager: Hannah
Woodward
Properties Master: Andrew Diaz
Fight Director: J. David Brimmer
Production Manager: Gary Levinson
Press: David Gersten &
Associates
Casting: Stuart Howard
General Manager: Sherri Kotimsky
Managing Director: Jim Bredeson
Directed by Jesse Berger
Presented by Red Bull Theater at
The Duke on 42nd Street
Tickets: 646-223-3010 or www.dukeon42.org
Information: www.redbulltheater.com
Running Time: Two Hours, with one
intermission
Closes: June 24, 2017
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