Tuesday, June 13, 2017

The Government Inspector - Looking Out For Number One Was Never This Much Fun


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
229 West 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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