This is only the second time in Immoral Minority history that I have featured a guest blogger. As many of you probably remember the first time was when I hosted a blog post from the lovely Mercede Johnston.
Today's post comes from longtime visitor, and reviewer extraordinaire, Nancy Berger. As you all remember I had made the request that if anybody were to see this off Broadway play that they might consider writing up a short review and sending it in for all of us to enjoy. At that time I had NO idea that my request would be answered by somebody as talented as today's guest poster. She has done a brilliant job.
So with no further ado, I present a review of "Picking Palin" written solely for the visitors of the Immoral Minority. Enjoy.
“Picking Palin”
August 13, 2010
Connelly Theater, NYC
A review by Nancy Berger
Last night, in the 99 seat Connelly Theater in New York City, Stephen Padilla’s entry into this year’s Fringe NYC film festival played to a sold out crowd of Generation Xers and Baby Boomers. “Picking Palin,” a drama about the selection of the 2008 Republican Vice Presidential nominee, is smart, believable, and entertaining. Serious, yet sprinkled throughout with dry humor, the cast succeeded in eliciting the occasional hardy laughter while keeping the dramatic level up. As it reaches the historically factual climax, the audience has born witness to the truth of one character’s sad observation that they belong to a party “where dissent is disloyalty.”
Written in three acts, there is one set, a hotel room in Phoenix, where over the course of three days, four conservatives wrestle with their consciences, challenge each other’s motives, and argue with passion while trying to reach consensus on the decision they gave been tasked to make.
As the team begins to assemble, Stephen Gleason, playing McCain’s point man “Neil,” is on the phone with “Liz,” telling her she will have to wait until Friday to find out, just like everyone else. Neil knows that with McCain, all politics are personal; they need to pick someone the candidate knows well, but who should it be? At some time in each act, Neil has a similar phone conversation with Liz, to the mild amusement of political junkies for whom “Liz” needs no last name.
Bill Timoney, as “Bob” is a mixture of Carl Rove and Pat Buchanan. Flag pin affixed to his lapel, he has a scheming, win at any cost perspective. Timoney plays the role with precision. He gets angry when pushed to care about anything other than winning, he laughs along with the others as they dissect the shortcomings of each potential running mate, and he makes sweeping generalizations about groups of voters; i.e. women, minorities, the middle class. When others raise concerns about the frightening possibility that a ticket with Sarah Palin for VP would put someone with no experience and no demonstrated understanding of national issues “one 72 year old heartbeat away from the Presidency” he clearly doesn’t get it. His response - “Does it matter?”
Georgette Reilly Timoney, “Jan,” plays the one female in the quartet. Timoney’s “Jan” is skeptical of Palin from the time she reads the first Google results for the Governor. She questions Palin’s experience - “yes, she ran a small town – incompetently” - and takes particular offense at the idea that Hillary voters will flock to a female running on the Republican ticket simply because she’s a woman. Padilla wrote the part of Jan as a smart, thoughtful, equal participant on the team, willing and able to speak her mind and challenge the others. She is the one who raises the idea that perhaps Palin will not take the offer, maybe she will turn it down. She suggests that “Maybe her commitment to family will make her not want it, “ and in doing so, she got one of the show’s big laughs. Timoney delivers a solid performance, making Jan a character the audience respects.
The fourth person on the stage, “Paul” becomes progressively disillusioned as the Palin pick nears reality. Played by Keith Herron, Paul is a sympathetic character in near-agony as the drum beats for Palin get louder. The factual recitation of the many ways in which she is the antithesis of the senator cause Paul to ask if this choice is just another hijacking of a presidential election, taking away the very things that John McCain stands for and the voters chose. The suggestion nearly brings Bob and Paul to blows.
Time passage is marked by effective use of snippets of television coverage of the Democrat National Convention. Throughout, Padilla strives for historical honesty, while not hiding his criticism of the thinking and the attitudes of those who made Sarah Palin a household name outside of Alaska.
Now, for Immoral Minority readers, here’s what you’ve been waiting for –Did the fake pregnancy rumor come up? The answer is no. But the baby with Down Syndrome came up more than once as a sure winner with the powerful Pro-Life faction and the Christians. The baby would also benefit the ticket by bringing in the Special Needs Voters. (“There is a Special Needs vote, now?” asks a thoroughly dismayed Jan.)
Jokes based on the 49th state’s most famous former first couple were many, and all were appreciated. I took note of a few to share with Gryphen’s readers:
One of the men, challenged by Jan when he said she was attractive, explained he found her to be like an Outback Steakhouse waitress.
First learning about Todd Palin’s championship wins, “Iron Dog Champ, what the hell is that?” brought laughter from many who undoubtedly remembered having thought the same thing at the time.
Of course, the question came up, “Just how big is Wasilla?” The answer elicited this brilliant observation: “ There is a restaurant in Viet Nam that serves more people than that in under an hour.”
But my favorite jab of the evening was at Todd, not Sarah. When, when being vetted (if you can call it that) Sarah was summoned to an interview, an offhand question was asked, “Did she bring Jethro, too?”
New Yorkers can laugh at themselves, too. When Giuliani was called a cross-dresser who married his cousin (“What do you expect? He’s from New York. ”), It got a good laugh. Equal to it was one of the last moments of amusement before the final, serious conclusion. Jan admits, “My worse fear is that, now that she [Palin]’s here, we will never be rid of her. “
The off-off-Broadway showing in “liberal” New York City may have been “preaching to the choir,” but even in that context, it was thought provoking. My husband and I had dinner afterwards on the patio of a small restaurant in the neighborhood, and behind us another couple were engrossed in a discussion about elections and vetting candidates, obviously they were inspired by “Picking Palin.”
There are four more chances to catch this show at the festival – August 18, 21, 25 and 28. After that, I hope IM followers will be fortunate and will find it playing somewhere near them. Anywhere this play goes, thinking people will want to see it, then will want to discuss it, and that will be a good thing.
Wow! That is absolutely amazing! Nancy did a wonderful job with this review, and that she did it on behalf of all of us just makes it that much more special.
Thank you very, very much Nancy, I am humbled by your dedication to this blog and its visitors.
If YOU are in the New York area and would like to see this play, you still can. Just click
here for more information.
Once again let me give my most heartfelt thanks to Nancy Berger, and to ALL of you who come by and visit at the Immoral Minority on a daily basis. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate that.
Namaste, my friends.
