The Spoils
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Cititour.com Review
It would be easy enough to call Jesse Eisenberg’s new play “The Spoiled,” instead of its actual title “The Spoils.” For that adjective seems to perfectly fit its main character, Ben (played by Eisenberg), a filmmaker manqué who basically spends his days in the handsome apartment bought for him by his dad doing little but smoking weed, annoying his roommate Kalyan (Kunal Nayyar of CBS’ “The Big Bang Theory”), an overly earnest MBA student from Nepal, and wallowing in self-pity.
It’s a testament to Eisenberg’s skill as both actor and writer that he imbues Ben with just enough pathos and neediness that we’re willing to endure 2 ½ hours of his rude, often misogynistic, and basically baffling behavior (including an almost homoerotic attraction to Kalyan). Still, we hardly root for Ben to reunite with former grade school crush Sarah (an excellent Erin Darke) who reenters his life by chance after an on-the-street encounter with their fellow schoolmate, and Sarah’s now fiancé, the somewhat doofusy banker Ted (the fine Michael Zegen).
Although this trip is overlong, the journey is not without its highlights. First and foremost is the superb work of Nayyar, who is extraordinarily touching as Kalyan, an honest man who is trying to make his way in a foreign country where he remains unsure of the social rules and pays sadly for his ignorance. One of the most intriguing questions we’re left with is whether Kalyan will end up with his current girlfriend Reshma (the effective Annapurna Sriram), an extremely ambitious Indian medical student – or if he should. When she tells him early on in the play that she doesn’t deserve him, the statement initially seems odd. At the play’s end, I’m inclined to agree. Conversely, Sarah ultimately seems too smart and decent to end up with the immature Ted, and hardly appears like the kind of woman who would marry just to be taken care of.
Indeed, as the final light fades on Scott Elliott’s assured production, we still have no real clue about why most of these people do what they do. Nor does it feel like Eisenberg has made a cultural commentary about his generation the way Kenneth Lonergan did almost 20 years ago in the similarly-themed “This Is Our Youth.” And I do wonder why this talented performer would purposely write himself such a consistently unpleasant role (having also previously done so in his other plays, such as “The Revisionist.”)
Ultimately, “The Spoils” is far from rotten, but it feels far from fresh either.
By Brian Scott Lipton
Visit the Site
http://www.thenewgroup.org/the-spoils.html
Cast
Erin Darke, Jesse Eisenberg, Kunal Nayyar, Annapurna Sriram, Michael Zegen
Open/Close Dates
Opening 5/5/2015
Closing 6/28/2015
Box Office
212-279-4200
Theatre Info
Pershing Square Signature Center
480 West 42nd Street
New York, NY 10036
Map
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