‘The Book of Grace’ reveals racial and social themes

Elizabeth Marvel and John Doman head world premiere of Suzan-Lori Parks' drama

BY MICHAEL SOMMERS

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

OFF BROADWAY REVIEW

Look at it simply and "The Book of Grace" appears to be a tragic story about a South Texas father-son reunion that goes terribly wrong. Consider it though a less literal lens and the play assumes a larger scope.

Since Suzan-Lori Parks is the accomplished author of "Topdog/Underdog" and "Venus" among other meaningful dramas, it's best to see beyond the basics of her latest play, which opened Wednesday at the Public Theater.

Framed in brief voiceovers, "The Book of Grace" is divided as chapters in a scrapbook of inspirational clippings and scribblings secretly kept by Grace (Elizabeth Marvel), a waitress who is the second, considerably younger wife of crusty old Vet (John Doman), a border patrol officer.

Vet's long-estranged adult son from his first marriage, Buddy (Amari Cheatom) arrives for a visit instigated by the eternally-optimistic Grace, who knew him fondly as a boy. Muttering about the "unspeakable things he did to me," Buddy decides to give his dad three chances to be forgiven.

The prideful, paranoid old man does not redeem himself. Meanwhile simmering Buddy and sloppy, sweet-natured Grace become involved sexually, which leads to a brutal confrontation before the 100-minute drama ends.

Despite the always-electric presence of Marvel, the story does not satisfy when taken merely as a lust-in-the-dust sort of melodrama.

Appreciate the symbolism in the characters' names and the play's allegorical nature becomes clear. Poised directly upon a rigid them-or-us border, Parks' tale suggests the terrible tensions existing between a repressive American government represented by Vet and a younger, maltreated "alien" population embodied by Buddy, portrayed here by a black actor. The eventually battered figure of Grace might be construed as a symbol of the kindlier forgive-and-forget side of the American spirit.

Please feel free to make your own connections. That's what allegories are for.

The world premiere is given a straightforward staging by director James MacDonald within the intimacy of the Public's three-quarter Anspacher space. The alternately white-hot or moon-shaded surroundings by Eugene Lee (set) and Jean Kalman (lights) provide a stark arena for the dark drama. Live video lends even further intimacy to the production.

An exceptional artist often seen as neurotic characters like Hedda Gabler, Marvel perhaps is miscast here as a relatively guileless woman but she certainly lends Grace a strong backbone. Best known to viewers as the commissioner on HBO's "The Wire" series, Doman portrays Vet as a suspicious old boy unable to comprehend other points of view. Cheatom's potentially explosive but stony-faced Buddy appears eclipsed somewhat by the powerful forces generated by Marvel and Doman.

At first glance, "The Book of Grace" doesn't stack up as one of Parks' major works but this ambitious and cautionary piece may well intrigue viewers willing to scope out a theme beyond the border of realism.

"The Book of Grace" continues through April 4 at the Public Theater, 425 Lafayette St., New York. Call (212) 967-7555 or visit www.publictheater.org.