This year ArtsWest Playhouse has planned a diverse season unified by the title “I AM”. In a season devoted to both the search and definition of identity, nothing could be more fitting than the themes explored in Douglas Carter Beane’s The Nance.
Set in 1937 in the cheeky, bawdy world of burlesque, The Nance follows the story of Chauncy Miles one of the stars of the show at the Irving Place Theater. Chauncy plays a stock character of both the vaudeville and burlesque shows of the era known simply as the “nance”. This character was always played as an incredibly effeminate homosexual though this was only ever expressed through innuendo, puns, and double entendre. At the time, this character was most often played by a heterosexual man. The bit was seen as a novelty on par with a comedian performing in black face. But what happens when what is completely acceptable, and even celebrated, onstage crashes into the real life of the homosexual actor, Chauncy Miles?
The play opens in an automat known for the clandestine meetings of gay men in New York City. Here, Miles has a very awkward “meet cute” with Ned, the typical, fresh off the bus, bumpkin. The two go from what is supposed to be a one night tryst to a full blown love affair. This plays alongside (sometimes literally) the life of Chauncy Miles the actor in the Irving Place Theater with a motley crew of burlesque performers.
With the powerful trifecta of Scenic Designer Lex Marcos, Lighting Designer Tristan Roberson, and Sound Designer Haley Parcher the audience is instantly transported into the gritty cabaret atmosphere. The play vacillates effortlessly between real life and the show within the show indicated by the ever present onstage and backstage lights. There are cabaret tables onstage populated by audience members making us all a part of the story and ultimately complicit in the story’s outcome. The costumes by Kelsey Rogers are beautiful in their shabby elegance.
All the fabulous sets and costumes would be for nothing if there were not a steady anchor at the heart of the show and in Richard Gray as Chauncy Miles, we have that and more. Gray takes long monologues filled with exposition and explanations that could easily become tedious and he turns them into music. They are arias with climaxes and crescendos. As Miles becomes emotionally vulnerable and frayed, these arias become more and more beautifully out of tune and dissonant and the facade begins to fade. He effortlessly navigates the rough terrain between campy comedy and true pathos. While Gray is absolutely the tour de force that the role demands, he is surrounded by some exceptional and nuanced performances. One standout is Ann Cornelius as Sylvie, the communist stripper and political activist. Cornelius is able go toe to toe with the dynamic Chauncy Miles in their political arguments while still making absolutely clear the immense affection she has for him. Her great heart shines through every scene whether drinking, dancing, or debating. Drew Highlands brings a sweet vulnerability to the too-good-to-be-true Ned and Jeff Steitzer as Efram oscillates easily between the gruff manager of the theater to his doofy onstage persona. This found family is rounded out with charming and effervescent Jasmine Jean Sim as Carmen and Diana Cameron McQueen as Joan.
What Douglas Carter Beane has written and director Matthew Wright has brought to the fruition is a moving exploration of the dichotomy between the face or character that we show the world and how we see ourselves. And, in turn, how the world sees us has an incredible impact on what we think we are worth or worthy of. When faced with the possibility of a true, loving relationship, Chauncy claims, “This is not for me – it’s not what I should be having.” As strong and self assured he seems initially, he is ultimately shaped by society’s expectations.
The Nance is playing at ArtsWest through November 19. For tickets and more info, visit http://www.artswest.org/