Wolves Premieres at 59E59 Theater

Wolves, a new work by Delaney Britt Brewer premiering at the 59 East 59th theatre is a challenging and interesting work, but ultimately fails because of the emotional distance it places between the story and the audience.
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As a metaphor for love and commitment, the wolf is a highly ambiguous transmitter. Unknowable and remote, the visceral reaction to a wolf is a highly personal experience. This analogy drives an interesting show, but not necessarily an accessible one.
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Wolves explores the emotions that lay just out of view and just out of reach in relationships. They play is driven by two major vignettes, one on each side of the intermission with a coda that wraps them together. The first act involves the unraveling of a relationship, a discussion precipitated by the main characters car hitting a wolf. The characters’ discussion and recriminations take their importance not only from their words, but via flashbacks to a party earlier that evening which illustrates the weight behind the words. Josh Tyson, as Caleb, brings the full depth of loss, confusion and harangued resentment to a emasculated writer– who uses humor as a defense. Mr. Tyson is identifiable to the audience as a befuddled lover who is somehow a disappointment to his partner and unable to fix it. Elizabeth A. Davies brings a frustrated hardness to the role of Kay, Charlie’s lover. In seeking to understand why and how love has gone wrong, she morphs her confusion into anger directed at Charlie.
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Elizabeth A. Davis and Josh Tyson in the first vignette in Wolves.

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The second act explores loss as a young woman morns the end of her relationship with a magnetic, if slightly selfish, older woman. Megan Hart plays Julie as the wounded lover who interacts with Doug Roland as Elliot, her brother, and later with Julie Fitzpatrick, as Sasha, her ex-lover. In an essentially passive role, Ms. Hart is fine, but Mr. Roland shines brighter in a showier role. In the character of Sasha, the author has found a magical voice. Emotionally lithe and honest, funny and insightful, Sasha is a joy of a character to listen to. Ms. Fitzpatrick plays Sasha with abandon. In this piece, the wolf is a late visitor who makes a perfunctory appearance.
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The final coda unites the two earlier pieces, but the wrap up itself reinforces the problems in the piece. The lack of a consistent central character is a problem for the play, particularly as a few characters that do recur become unpleasant over time. The theme, basically that love is tough and transitory, isn’t enough to hold the piece together cohesively. While Wolves is interesting and challenging, ultimately it is a problematic piece. The audience is left unfulfilled with no sense of closure after watching the piece.
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The direction, by Mike Klar, is well done, making good use of the circular stage and keeping the story clear between flashbacks vs. the current timeline.
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Ultimately Wolves is frustrating. The acting is excellent and parts of the show burn with a clear vision, but the missing pieces stand our starkly and leave the audience removed from the play at the wrong time.
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Wolves
Cast: Josh Tyson, Elizabeth A. Davis, Richard Saudek, Sarah Baskin, Megan Tusing, Megan Hart, Doug Roland, Julie Fitzpatrick, Vikki Vasiliki Eugenis
Director: Mike Klar
Writer: Delaney Britt Brewer
tickets
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59 East 59 Theaters, August 4 – 21, 2010
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Rating: Worth the Money
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What works: Some Amazing Writing
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What doesn't work: The links between the acts are tenuous
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What you get to brag about to your friends: Delany Britt Brewer is an exciting new author that will go very far.