Props for ’Henry Moss’

Our RTD Review

Dark 'Henry Moss' a thing of beauty

Cast, crew expertly capture intensity of family's troubles

Saturday, Feb 23, 2008 - 12:08 AM

By SUSAN HAUBENSTOCK

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Playwright Sam Shepard has been the quintessential off-Broadway playwright since the mid-1960s. His plays are oblique, disturbing, raw; he often examines family secrets, violence, characters who are in extremis.

Shepard's works can be confusing, but "The Late Henry Moss," which premiered in 2000, is a bit more accessible. And Firehouse Theatre's new production, directed by Morrie Piersol, illuminates the three-act play in a blazing mix of comedy and pain.

From the first fast-talking moments, Piersol sets up the relationship between brothers Earl and Ray Moss, who are seeing each other for the first time in years. They've come to the New Mexico house of their father, Henry, who was an abusive drunk, to unravel the events of his last days. In the process they tease out their very different memories of life with Henry.

Layering one brilliant performance on top of another, Piersol highlights the comedy in this disturbing situation while exposing its raw tension and pain. Bill Patton is Henry, brought down at last by booze and a lifetime of shameless behavior. He careens around his grimy shack (designed and lit for maximum squalor by Maury Hancock) like an impotent old bull, but he's not unsympathetic as he contemplates his own death. Jen Meharg portrays his last girlfriend, the luscious Conchalla Lupina, who met him in the local drunk tank. Meharg's fearless portrayal sets her up as both life force and angel of death.

Jeff Clevenger and Scott Wichmann are perfect in their supporting roles. Clevenger is Esteban, the sweet-but-creepy neighbor who enabled Henry for 30 years by supplying him with soup as he drank and raved. Wichmann is panicky as the hapless taxi driver who accompanied Henry on his last binge.

They're good punching bags for Earl and Ray, but the brothers prefer to save their best licks for each other. Daniel Moore is forceful and shifty as older brother Earl; he's the kind of guy who likes to weasel out of blame. Justin Dray is scarier, a decade young for the role but powerful and relentless, trying to reclaim his history by staking out bits of his father's small territory and shabby possessions.

Except for an unruly door that refuses to stay closed, the production is beautiful in every detail. Moore and Dray seem really to be brothers, really to be Patton's sons. They're estranged, but we can see that they have old and deep knowledge of one another; they know what to look for, where the weak points are, and how to win. It's a searing performance by a thrillingly talented ensemble.

And a letter from a patron of the Firehouse Theatre:
Morrie - I agree with Susan's review in this morning's RTD. Congratulations to you and the whole cast/crew on a terrific production. Challenging play - and you delivered a stunning production. And what a cast! Everyone nailed it. Bill of course was a bull's eye. It didn't take long for me to start believing that the real-life Bill that I know is fake - and that underneath he's hiding his real self: Henry. I mean, nobody can nail that part like that unless he really IS that part - right? Scottie - as always - was just perfect. (His costume person should be up for some sort of award!) It would have been tempting for Jeff to turn his role into caricature, but he took it into a whole compelling zone. Justin was indeed scary - reminded Janet exactly of a brother of a friend of hers who turned a table over and threw it across the room. Daniel was right at home in his role - physically and otherwise. And Jen couldn't have been better. I overheard a well-heeled middle-aged couple in front of me - who didn't know Jen in real life - wondering if she really is Mexican and where you found her.

Applause, applause!

-John