Some Americans Abroad

2nd Stage Theater

I think the best word to describe Some Americans Abroad is--wordy. It just had so many words, so much dialogue in it. It was difficult, if not impossible, to fully keep up unless you happened to be an English professor at a reputable college and could fully keep up with what seemed to be inside jokes and allusions (and I read!).

The reaction of fellow theater goers as we left the theater was that most people felt like they needed some sort of treat after enduring two hours or so of the play, something like an ice cream Sunday, a beer, etc.
It was indeed a test of endurance and the entertainment factor was low.

However, there was a point to all of this. The main character, played by Tom Cavanagh from Ed, is an English professor, head of the department in fact, who has gotten lost in the theater world. He's gotten lost to such a great extent that he can no longer handle even the smallest, simplest, clearest conflict or problem in real life. This is true even when he can handle the most complex aspects of drama on the stage.

I think this is true of modern life in America and in the West to some extent. We've gotten so lost in other stories, fictitious stories, that reality pales in comparison. For me, the danger might be that theater has become more real than real life. But, for others it might be TV. Or, whatever distractions people use to keep them from engaging in real life all of the time. Many, many people do this even when they aren't dressed up like an English teacher, even when it isn't so obvious that they've devoted their life to art or fiction.

Tom Cavanagh's character is confronted with a few simple problems. First, he is not tenuring a young professor. In fact, the young man's contract is set to expire at the end of the year. And, he can't bear to tell him the truth and set the man free to pursue other opportunities. Additionally, he's already interviewed other candidates for the position and offered it to someone else, but instead he gives the man false hope and leads him on.

Additionally, two of the professors in his department are having an affair with one another. He has failed to see this and when confronted with the truth ignores it and shifts the subject back to drama. He refuses to see what is before him while looking for complexity, subtlety and nuance with what is on the stage.

And, then as a final boom one of the professors makes a pass at a student. He immediately discredits the student and refuses to truly hear her story. He looks to others' guidance in what to do and fails again to make a decision even though he has been given the responsibility and the salary to make decisions and lead.

The final bang is when, at the end of the play, the group can't even solve the problem of how to pay for the check at a restaurant. They are cheap, confused and forgetful. They are simply lost in reality. They no longer know how to treat other people fairly and well. And, so long as there are no consequences for their actions there are no problems.

At the end of the day, it was a good play with a good message. It was actually rather subtle, covered in complexity. Art is supposed to help us see reality better and differently. Part of its function is to enlighten reality and our surroundings. But, we can get so obsessed with it, so deeply engrossed with it, so distracted by it that we fail to be attentive to what is going on around us--instead seeking distraction and avoiding what we need to be attending to. We all do it. We just don't often think about it in this way.

A good example is when a household conflict arises and the TV stays on for the rest of the program. Or, the video game. Or, we continue to go out and be entertained in the midst of trial or tribulation.

The play was long. It held my attention, but barely. It was interesting and well done. But, my goodness--all those words.