The Homecoming
I wish I could write some profound and witty review of The Homecoming starring RAUL ESPARZA but to be honest, I was totally confused by the show, and I'm sure it's at my ignorance. I just think playwright Harold Pinter is too much of a genius for me and I just can't grasp it. I can give a summary of the plot and my impressions of the characters, but I can't even say if I liked it or not!
Ian McShane is Max, the father of this dysfunctional British clan. He's past his prime and gimpish but likes to think that he did something great and he contributed to his family. He belittles his younger brother, Sam (Michael McKean) who takes pride in the fact that he's doing well in his job as a chauffer. They live under the same roof as Max's two sons, Lenny (RAUL ESPARZA!!), the town pimp and Joey (Gareth Saxe), the slow and talentless boxer. Their world changes when Max's long-lost son, Teddy (James Frain) and his wife Ruth (Eve Best) come home. Teddy has been in America for 9 years with Ruth, who has never met Teddy's family. Lenny and Ruth have a little inappropriate exchange before the end of the first act. By the second act, Ruth makes out with Lenny and Joey in front of her husband. And then her husband watches Ruth as she goes upstairs to have sex with Joey... Teddy's brother. And then Lenny so generously offers to pimp out Ruth to the entire town. And Ruth, without a blink, begins bargaining with Lenny for the best deal.
I was just so utterly confused as to why Ruth would make out with her brothers-in-law in front of her husband and want to be pimped out when she has a lavish life as a professor in America. I also don't know why Teddy so calmly watches his wife cheat on him with his brothers. And I'm also confused as to how Lenny as the audacity to pimp out his sister-in-law. AND I'm completely lost as to why Joey, the slow boxer, does what he does with Ruth. Do any of these characters have a moral compass? Are they amoral or immoral? Why and how can they do what they do in front of each other?
The most peculiar thing about Pinter is the way he writes his scenes. He writes these great climaxes and as the scene is getting to it's peak, Pinter ends the scene. There's no completion and it leaves the audience left hanging without ever finishing the scene! It's so frustrating!
The acting was fine all around, but I was only really drawn to RAUL (what a surprise!). I was so thrilled every time I watched him as the predator leech on Ruth. But the best part was seeing Raul, the pimp, wear satin pajamas!!
I just walked out of the theater completely dumb-founded, and I'm sure it's all my fault. I like having questions after a show that makes me think, but it's frustrating not being able to have any answers for these questions!
Ian McShane is Max, the father of this dysfunctional British clan. He's past his prime and gimpish but likes to think that he did something great and he contributed to his family. He belittles his younger brother, Sam (Michael McKean) who takes pride in the fact that he's doing well in his job as a chauffer. They live under the same roof as Max's two sons, Lenny (RAUL ESPARZA!!), the town pimp and Joey (Gareth Saxe), the slow and talentless boxer. Their world changes when Max's long-lost son, Teddy (James Frain) and his wife Ruth (Eve Best) come home. Teddy has been in America for 9 years with Ruth, who has never met Teddy's family. Lenny and Ruth have a little inappropriate exchange before the end of the first act. By the second act, Ruth makes out with Lenny and Joey in front of her husband. And then her husband watches Ruth as she goes upstairs to have sex with Joey... Teddy's brother. And then Lenny so generously offers to pimp out Ruth to the entire town. And Ruth, without a blink, begins bargaining with Lenny for the best deal.
I was just so utterly confused as to why Ruth would make out with her brothers-in-law in front of her husband and want to be pimped out when she has a lavish life as a professor in America. I also don't know why Teddy so calmly watches his wife cheat on him with his brothers. And I'm also confused as to how Lenny as the audacity to pimp out his sister-in-law. AND I'm completely lost as to why Joey, the slow boxer, does what he does with Ruth. Do any of these characters have a moral compass? Are they amoral or immoral? Why and how can they do what they do in front of each other?
The most peculiar thing about Pinter is the way he writes his scenes. He writes these great climaxes and as the scene is getting to it's peak, Pinter ends the scene. There's no completion and it leaves the audience left hanging without ever finishing the scene! It's so frustrating!
The acting was fine all around, but I was only really drawn to RAUL (what a surprise!). I was so thrilled every time I watched him as the predator leech on Ruth. But the best part was seeing Raul, the pimp, wear satin pajamas!!
I just walked out of the theater completely dumb-founded, and I'm sure it's all my fault. I like having questions after a show that makes me think, but it's frustrating not being able to have any answers for these questions!