Yen — StageWrite Post

4 out of 5 Stars

Imagine finding yourself in the cockpit of a 747 at 30,000 feet without the faintest clue of how to fly an airplane. Navigating through this predicament is metaphorically identical to the situation our main characters find themselves in Yen, a bold new play written by Anna Jordan and directed by Trip Cullman, as they reside in their decrepit flat on the fringes of British society. To say our characters don’t know how to operate the controls is an understatement; they don’t know what the controls look like or that control is even possible. Bobby and Hench are 14 and 16-year-old half-brothers who, for all intents and purposes, have been abandoned by their alcoholic mother. They have gone completely feral. The boys only taste of control is at the touch pad of their video games. It is clear to see early on that this is a voyage that is on a collision course.

Our cast includes visits from a usually intoxicated mother, who has little to offer in terms of guiding this journey. We soon learn that Maggie is herself the victim of a feral upbringing. Her presence may, in fact, be more of a liability than an asset to the boys as she the adult version of a child with unfilled dependency needs.

Lucas Hedges, Ari Graynor and Justice Smith

The cast is rounded out by the potentially uplifting presence of a sweet, lonely, and somewhat damaged neighbor Jenny, whose arrival gives us a glimmer of hope that this unguided ship can be righted. Unseen but significant family members include the grandmother and the family dog, Taliban, (don’t let the barking scare you).

What becomes clear is that this is a multigenerational story of history repeating itself. As foreign and removed as these characters may appear to be in the above description, this combination of talented actors and excellent writing brings the humanity of this family drama to the welcome mat of our door. This is the underbelly of what is, in actually, and unfortunately, a large component of marginalized society. These are the people who have cried out in recent elections in both Britain and the United States. This is alienation that may seem foreign but is very close to home.

There is a frenetic energy that envelops the experience from the moment you enter the theater. This is created by the fast paced visual of moving through the British streets to the sound of hyper-kinetic rap. Scene changes are punctuated by jarring sounds and images.

Lucas Hedges (recent Academy Award nominee for Manchester by the Sea) plays the older brother. He demonstrates here how his acting talent is equally powerful in its stage version. Justice Smith (best known for the Netflix series The Get Down) plays the younger brother and is virtually show stopping in his dramatic, comical, and athletic displays. Stefania LaVie Owen does a noteworthy job as she slowly weaves into the fabric of this unusual household.

There is no excuse for the behavior of the mother, deftly played by Ari Graynor, but as flawed as her character is, she is very much needed by our characters and the story. After all, she is the mom.

This is a tightly, well-performed story about a family you probably have never and may never meet. It is very well done. As to whether you care about these characters, you will have to see the show to find out. We found it fascinating.

This was our first show as members of MCC Theater and we were very pleased with the entire experience.

Why we went: Lucas Hedges impressed us mightily in Manchester by the Sea and we are now MCC Theater members.

JMG