The Memorandum
The Memorandum
William Wolf Entertainment
William Wolf
November 2010
In keeping with its mission to show rarely produced work, The Actors Company Theatre (TACT) is giving us a crisp, entertaining and thought-provoking production of Czech writer Václav Havel’s “The Memorandum,” first shown in New York at the Public Theater in 1968. The work, written in Havel’s avant-garde style, is a creative slap at totalitarianism. His target was specifically Communist domination, but as with well-written satire, the work can have a universal ring that transcends any one country or ideology.
Directed with élan by Jenn Thompson and acted by an excellent cast, the play may not seem as daring as it did originally, but it is well worth seeing as an example of Havel’s work and vision. One can also view it in present-day context and even look at it beyond a slap at government control and see it in the context of corporate hierarchies that leave little room for whistle blowers to object to practices without being ousted.
The staging is first-rate, with cast members swiftly re-arranging furniture for different scenes in a manner choreographed to achieve unison timing. As the program informs us, the action occurs at a large organization within three offices and unfolds over two days in 12 scenes.
James Prendergast is outstanding in the pivotal role of Joseph Gross (The part was to have been played y Simon Jones, who had to withdraw to recover from an auto accident.) Gross is a managerial employee who is startled to find that a memorandum is written in an invented language that higher-ups in the organization have decided to adopt as the preferred means of communication. Gross is outraged, and so begins his downfall as a result of his objection.
Mark Alhadeff is also excellent as Jan Ballas, who maneuvers to rise above Gross. The play consists of a compendium of shifting power as people rise and fall, with Jeffrey C. Hawkins also outstanding in multiple roles. Joel Leffert is absolutely hilarious as Lear, the professor who lectures to a class of employees (several represented by dummies) on the new language, with tongue-twisting, rat-a-tat-tat delivery of made-up words. It is a dazzling performance of verbal agility. Other cast members contributing to the almost surreal situations are Trent Dawson, Kate Levy, John Plumpis, Lynn Wright and Nilanjana Bose.
The play goes on a bit beyond what is necessary, but nonetheless Havel’s genius in creating an insular world that does not brook dissent and making the infighting delightfully absurdist gives the work an unusual edge, especially by virtue of the razor-sharp staging and performances. The situation presented, although frightening in its implications, is also enjoyable to watch because of its inherent Havelian humor.