“I don’t mean to be insensitive…but”
Last night, Intiman Theatre opened a play by Eleanor Burgess titled The Niceties, which could also have been titled The Cruelties based on the personality of the one of the characters, Janine Bosko, a baby-boomer professor of American History at an elite university in Connecticut. Bosko argued with her young Black millennial student, Zoe Reed about a number of issues: the founding fathers’ sources of wealth, the true nature of the American “Revolution,” and the validity of Zoe’s feelings about being “the other” in American society in general, as well as at an elitist institution cranking out future employees of Wall Street.
The character of Prof. Bosko, played by Amy Thone was not a likeable person and her controlling, belittling behavior towards Zoe, who had the backbone to stand up to her, created a huge amount of dramatic tension and revealed various generational, class and racial biases.
Initially, it all began with a discussion about the placement of a comma in a rough draft of a term-paper about the American Revolution and devolved into an extremely heated conversation, during which the professor callously disparages Zoe’s ideas, goals, perceptions and youthful idealistic activism. This leads to a discussion about the “whitewashing” of African Americans in popular and scholarly history. It all ends up with Prof. Bosko, saying some exceedingly “unfortunate” things.
The result is that neither of them come out of the situation unscathed, both are completely damaged, an attempt is made at resolution but just when the audience thinks an olive branch may be in the works, the nastiness starts again and the play ends abruptly.
However, due to the excellent dialogue and the passionate acting of Varinique “V” Davis as Zoe, the play was riveting, while clearly articulating how it feels to be the “other,” when that “otherness” involves the legacy of centuries of brutal oppression, followed by both blatant and subtle forms of discrimination. At the end of Act I, Davis as Zoe, expresses herself on this topic in a heated but emotionally genuine monologue. It was a credit to the writer and the actor, and was very moving.
The set by Jennifer Zeyl, had such an authenticity to it, that it took me back 50 years to the office of an eminent professor of history at a Big Ten university. There was the old-fashioned (God forbid metal) desk, a messy stack of books but especially the pictures on the walls indicating what we used to call “Armchair Socialism.”
Unfortunately, the set was in the round, (in the square actually) and it meant that the actors often had their backs to the some of the audience. Since Thone mumbled her lines a fair amount, some of her lines were not heard even when she was facing the audience.
Although the script had incredible dialogue, and in the capable hands of director Sheila Daniels, it zipped along at a fast pace, it also had some weaknesses, namely the controversy which starts the argument was not historically accurate; the playwright might want to brush up on some basic facts about who settled the province of Ontario, the United Empire Loyalist association and Benjamin Franklin’s son. As a result, the differences of opinion which set off the huge argument seemed contrived…but that was only the catalyst for the real issues.
Although this play is not for the freight of heart, and may stir up some unpleasant memories of college professors, as it did me, it will give you some idea of the debilitating effects of being the “other,” if you have never had that experience. It only runs for two weeks, and was sold out on opening night, so get your tickets right away.
The Niceties. Intiman Theatre Company, Erickson Theatre. 1524 Harvard, Capitol Hill, Seattle, (Between Pike/Pine) Around the corner from the Egyptian Theatre. Evenings 7:30, PM, Two Matinées 2:00 Sun Apr. 23 and Sat. Apr. 29. Closes Apr. 29.
Tickets: https://intiman.my.salesforce-sites.com/ticket/#/events/a0S2I00000y8tkkUAA
Street parking is difficult, there is a 2 hr. maximum. Take the #10 bus from downtown or #49 along Broadway , or Sound Transit to the Capitol Hill Stop.