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| Bobby Costanzo and Eileen Galindo |
Photo by Ed Krieger
Ian McRae’s THE ALAMO, currently at The Ruskin Group Theatre at the Santa
Monica Airport; directed by Kent Thompson was inspired by an op ed piece in the
New York Times that sparked McRae's response to the “lies about WMD” and the
subsequent war in Iraq. McRae’s strong polemic evokes the past and what seems
to be an inevitable future for the long established Alamo Bar in the Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn.
Through the fourth wall, Joey (Bobby Costanzo) recalls
his days of being a New York City cop and the subsequent hate that overwhelms him
from time to time. He spouts angry alt-right rhetoric as we get to know the
sundry denizens of The Alamo. Having lost his brother in Vietnam, Joey laments
the drug bust that he eventually acknowledges led to his brother's service in the army
instead of serving a couple of years in the slammer. “He shoulda done the time.” More wounds are revealed as we
meet the cast and dig deeper into neighborhood lore.
Munce (Tim True) and Carmen, his wife (excellent Eileen
Galindo) own The Alamo. Carmen reminds, “It’s a
business!” Time for some changes: a
new paint job and the revision of the name to suit the new neighbors: hipsters,
poets and artists. She is considering The Poplar Tree (which refers in a
gentrified way to what “Alamo” translates to in English.) Plans for entertainment and fancy
drinks are waiting in the wings.
In a parallel story we meet Mary (Milica Govich) and her
rebellious daughter, Micaela (spot on Kelsey Griswold). Munce and Carmen are long time friends
of Mary and god parents to Micaela. Micaela’s dad, was lost
that terrible day, September 11, 2001. The wounds are closing... but very slowly. Mary volunteers at the 9/11 Memorial which
Micaela denounces as a "sewage treatment plant." Guilt drives Mary to do her best to keep some memory of her husband alive. Micaela plans to move forward with her own life and
encourages her mother to do the same. A beautifully
moving “chat” with her dead father reveals that it’s not such a bad idea.
Joey rants and
notes his brother’s picture has been removed for repainting the interior of the bar to
change the atmosphere to welcome the gentrified tide on the horizon.
An unnecessary third story involving
the lone Mets fan (in heavy Yankees territory), Tick (Jack Merrill) and his frantic wife, Claudine (over the
top Nancy Georgini) expands their personal tragedy onto a side track that might
be better examined in another story all together.
John Lacey appears as Dominic, another long time pal and patron of The Alamo.
We return again and again to Joey’s story; rubbing away
his hate, polishing his "worry stone" given to him by a therapist to help deal with his anger issues that entwine with the unwelcome changes at The Alamo. His contrary feelings expand to his
hatred of John Lennon and all that John and Yoko stood for: celebrated, while his brother
and American soldiers were falling in Vietnam.
Highlights of his drunken encounter with the “Imagine” mosaic in Central
Park and later, his heroic actions on December 8, 1980 at The Dakota in Manhattan are
perfectly delivered and ultimately make Joey a Human being: worthy of our appreciation
in spite of his angry reaction to the way the world is turning.
John Iacovelli's multi-functional set brings the play home simply and realistically.
More moments of irony and levity might better balance this
somewhat over written piece. The world is changing, whether we like it or not.
THE ALAMO by Ian McRae
A World Premiere
The Ruskin Theatre
3000 Airport Avenue
Santa Monica,
CA 90405
Opened
Friday, February 24th
Continues Fridays – Saturday at 8pm,
Sundays at 2pm through March 31, 2018
Tickets are $30 ($25 for students,
seniors, and guild
members)
(310) 397-3244
Ample free parking available on site
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