Seared
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Cititour.com Review
Having spent long stretches of my journalism career writing about food, I have plenty of adjectives at the ready to describe the prolific Theresa Rebeck’s new restaurant-set play, “Seared,” now at the Robert W. Wilson MCC Theatre Space. Unfortunately, delicious, delectable and mouthwatering only fit the dishes being prepared (some in plain view) in Tim Mackabee’s meticulous on-stage rendering of the kitchen of a small Brooklyn eatery. Meanwhile, the most apt word for the play itself is half-baked.
For a while, “Seared,” which has been ably directed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel, seems to want to present itself as yet another entry in the ongoing debate about art-versus-commerce as it pits temperamental chef Harry (an intense Raul Esparza in full-blast mode) against his frustrated business partner Mike (David Mason) and Emily (an excellent Krysta Rodriguez), the super-shrewd, seductive and slightly shady consultant Mike literally hires overnight.
Harry’s attitude -- a mixture of toxic masculinity, self-destructiveness and offbeat charm eerily similar to Wheeler, the protagonist of Tracy Letts’ far superior “Linda Vista” --threatens the future financial success of the enterprise. His refusal to cook the scallops recently praised by “New York” magazine is just the first of many times we see Harry insist on asserting his intractable pursuit of life, liberty and the freedom to do whatever the hell he wants, no matter the consequences.
While not a likeable character, Harry might nonetheless be slightly sympathetic if he truly put his money where his mouth is. But after Rebeck gives him a couple of near-operatic arias about how he doesn’t care about cash (stirringly delivered by Esparza), she throws in a little twist undermining that very point, and the play instantly becomes the theatrical equivalent of a souffle that falls while it’s in the oven.
Worse, in undermining her own thesis, Rebeck makes us wonder what “Seared” is really about. It makes no sense as a plea for sympathy for Mike, who may not be the devil, but who whines incessantly about “giving up his life” and losing his entire investment in a little over two years. Did he know anything about the restaurant business before he entered into it? I think not, since his expectations are entirely unrealistic. Moreover, Rebeck gives us no backstory about why Mike chose Harry as a chef. Were they longtime friends? Did Mike eat somewhere Harry once cooked? All we do know is that they’re not ex-lovers (or so I think) since Harry all-too-predictably hooks up with Emily.
As for the lady in beige, Emily is little more than a shark in designer duds whose motives in taking on the restaurant are all about her ego and her pocketbook. She may well be much smarter than Mike or Harry, but that hardly makes her admirable. Indeed, the only “nice guy” on the stage is longtime waiter Rodney (a very appealing W. Tre Davis), who, if nothing else, keeps his cool when the heat is on, both literally and figuratively. But even he proves to be more than just milquetoast.
Perhaps, Rebeck just wants to remind us that the melting pot of New York is full of unpleasant characters. If that’s the case, though, I’m not sure she’s chosen the right recipe.
By Brian Scott Lipton
Visit the Site
https://mcctheater.org/tix/seared/
Cast
W. Tré Davis, Raúl Esparza, David Mason, and Krysta Rodriguez
Open/Close Dates
Opening 10/28/2019
Closing 12/22/2019
Theatre Info
Robert W. Wilson MCC Theater Space
511 W 52 Street
New York, NY 10019
Map
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