Transcending stereotype

Noah Haidle's '01 "A Long History of Neglect" presents contemporary American life in an obvious but interesting manner. The play, which premieres at McCarter on Friday night, is a tragicomedy about a young boy named Andy (Sam Zetumer '09) who struggles with loneliness and bullying while attempting to search for meaning in his generally inconsequential life. After failing to find himself in this world, he commits suicide to attempt a better life in the next.

His single working mother, Justine (Lily Cowles '09), neglects her children while juggling three jobs. A self-involved and unsympathetic character, she even turns tricks, first for career advancement and then professionally once she is fired from her jobs.

Andy's sister is a stereotypical and pathetic teenage girl. She reminisces about being looked at sexually by older men, encourages sexual activity with her first boyfriend, then tries to be promiscuous with a second but backs away from his quick advances. She ultimately begins dating an older man who respects her want not to be touched sometimes, but is experienced enough to please her when she wants. Like her mother, she is highly self-involved and characterized by cliché.

Andy's sister's first two boyfriends, as well as Andy's schoolteacher, his piano teacher and the bullies, are entirely stereotypical characters. The tragicomedy plays out as a story we've all heard before, with a few changes—Andy is so antisocial he loses control of his bowels whenever someone looks at him, he speaks in a robot voice to deny that he is actually alive, and he imagines that Emily Dickinson (Ann Preis '07) visits him from the dead and helps him to commit suicide.

While these twists are interesting, they are not enough to keep the play from cliché. Haidle's script and the production's actors, however, manage to keep the play going at a fast pace and with a level of obviousness that keeps the viewer intrigued by its predictability. Though the audience could almost guess the next line in many of the scenes, Andy and his sister's rapid descent into various teenage tragedies and their mother's continually degrading work-life are presented so quickly that we are caught questioning our ability to predict the story.

With the fast pace of the play, which is directed by Davis McCallum '97, the stereotypical domestic melodrama becomes a caricature of itself, raising interesting questions about our acceptance of narcissism and family neglect. Though this can be tedious at times while watching the play, the obviousness ultimately makes for a fascinating and fresh addition to the classic American domestic drama.

"A Long History of Neglect" escapes damage from its stereotypical characters and plot not only because of Haidle's language and McCallum's pacing, but also because of the cast's brilliantly balanced acting. At a recent dress rehearsal, none of the actors overplayed the stereotypes of their roles, nor did they try to make them too sympathetic or 'real.' The characters were caricatures of themselves just as the play is of its plot — they were predictable but not overacted, and stereotypically pathetic without trying to appeal to the audience or seem pitiable.

Zetumer's Andy carries the show, straddling the line perfectly between absurdly predictable moments and the actual tragedy of his situation. Of all of the actors, he succeeds the best in conveying the over-the-top oddity of his character without overacting. Zetumer's portrayal makes the audience question its sympathy — or lack thereof — for his character, an uncomfortable position that toys with the emotions raised by generations of American domestic dramas.

Other admirable performances come from Cowles as Andy's mother, Justine, and from Andy Hoover '07, who plays one of Andy's bullies and his sister's first boyfriend. Cowles' loud and frank style is consistent throughout the play, which maintains a level of sincerity that makes her character poignant and almost delightful in her harsh honesty. Hoover, like Zetumer, superbly balances an over-the-top bully character who is supposed to have a sensitive side, never appearing too precious or aggressive. His fellow bully, played by Ben Mains '06, is a more aggressive character who also appears surprisingly real without losing the sarcasm of his predictable role. Mains' portrayal of anger is impressive, and he adds a formidable and piercing terror to the plot.

Ultimately, "A Long History of Neglect" forces the audience to reconsider what truths they ignore because of stereotype and how cliché effects our perception.

Definitely catch this play while it's here — Haidle is currently one of the great new voices in American drama, and this show exemplifies his ability to transform old genres into uniquely modern plays.

"A Long History of Neglect" will open for its world premiere at the Berlind Theatre at McCarter Theatre on Friday night at 8 p.m., and will also be performed Saturday night at 8 p.m. and Thursday through Saturday, November 17 to 19.