| Jerusalem |
| Written by Natalie Goldberg | |||
| Friday, 22 July 2011 02:29 | |||
 Jerusalem Written by Jez Butterworth Directed by Ian Rickson Starring Mark Rylance, Mackenzie Crook, John Gallagher, Jr., Max Baker, Geraldine Hughes, Molly Ranson, Alan David, Aimeé-Ffion Edwards, Danny Kirrane, Charlotte Mills, Sarah Moyle, Harvey Robinson, Barry Sloane, Aiden Eyrick, Mark Page I tried to love it. Really, I did. Three hours of nonstop chatter, screaming, singing, and chanting, with an outstanding cast has to be worth something, doesn't it? The answer, apparently, is no. Mark Rylance won the 2011 Tony Award for Best Leading Actor this year for his performance as Johnny "Rooster": Byron. Rooster seems to fancy himself some sort of vagabond Jesus character (don't you just hate biblical metaphors in the theater? Seriously, let's shake it up a little), and is filled with stories of the past. He lives in a trailer park from which he is about to be evicted, surrounded by friends young enough to be his sons and daughters (including John Gallagher, Jr. of Spring Awakening fame). His relationship with his ex-wife/mother of his child and son is strained at best. His son barely breathes a word to him. All of these factors seem like they'd add up to a work of genius. The major issue, really, is that, well, nothing happens. As far as I was concerned, people walk on, say things loudly, and move on to the next topic. There are several high-emotion moments, particularly Rooster's romantic encounter with his ex-wife. "Look at me," he says, "look deeper. Now do you see?" He presses on her forehead. I imagine as Butterworth wrote this, he was sure it was Shakespearian. Unfortunately, with nothing to back it, no buildup, no character arcs, and no real conflict, situations such as that one and other revelations throughout the play are meaningless. The writer and director have tried to make us care through making us laugh at the mere existence of Rooster. In other words, we are supposed to like the play simply because Rooster is wild, messes up, and is funny when he's on drugs. I do not believe that's all it takes. The writer has then tried to insert Rooster's son into the mix to make us feel something. Since I had not gotten to know Rooster at all (save for the sound of his voice) up until this point, the meeting between father and son meant little to me. Interactions between the characters are all the same. An angel comes out and sings. What is her purpose? Are we supposed to be in a heaven that is slashed open by debauchery? If so, that idea could have been portrayed in an hour and a half, even ten minutes. Three hours of being knocked over the head with the whole "Jesus was an outcast" theme was a little difficult to endure. At the same time, I admire the intention of the writer to create something new. He obviously feels his words are important, and has expressed them. He has been heard, even if I wanted to cover my ears. Jerusalem Music Box Theatre, 239 West 45th Street www.jerusalembroadway.com For more articles like Jerusalem, please visit the Stage Reviews Section of TimesSquare.com
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