Stuff Happens a “Must See”
Anyone who felt a frisson of dread at President Obama’s request to Congress to authorize military force against ISIS should see this powerful production of British playwright David Hare’s “Stuff Happens.” Originally produced in London in 2004 and in New York in 2006, Mr. Hare uses a fascinating mix of public record information, documented details and theatrical invention to chronicle the events leading up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Twelve years on it has suddenly become frighteningly relevant.
The ensemble cast is exceptionally strong. Unfortunately I have neither time nor space to mention them all. The major players are all there. George W. Bush is ably played by Stuart Hughes who, although physically different, captures Bush’s cocky belligerence. He’s surrounded by Greg Malone as the diabolical Donald Rumsfeld in an almost over the top performance that somehow works and the excellent Paul Rainville as the volatile Dick Chaney. My companion commented that in the final scene he perfectly captured Cheney’s gleeful fat-cattishness. It’s fascinating watching those two, along with Andy Massingham as an appropriately scary Paul Wolfowitz, manipulate Bush onto their chosen path toward invasion.
Christopher Morris is very good as Tony Blair and is manipulated almost as easily as Bush. (I wondered if his mispronunciation of “nuclear” was deliberate.) As Dominique de Villepin, the French ambassador to the UN, Peter James Haworth shines in the luncheon scene. As Campbell, Blair’s advisor, he has one of my favorite lines. “He [Saddam] has the IQ of parsley.”
Andrew Moodie shows us a complex Colin Powell – a basically good and honorable man who finally realizes he’s been abandoned by people he trusted. The scene where Bush directly orders him to speak to the UN on weapons of mass destruction is painful to watch. He’s basically been thrown under the bus.
The physical production is a knockout. Gillian Gallow’s grey and black monochromatic business attire is perfect. Her set, Glenn Davidson’s lighting and Jamie Nesbitt’s sound and video mesh perfectly. The shiny black playing space is outlined in red and backed by a scrim, a neon tilted cross and various projections. The pre-show, intermission and post-show recordings, photos and videos add to the play’s effectiveness.
Director David Ferry has pulled all this into a cohesive whole. His fluid staging and brisk pace keep what could be static constantly in motion. The staging of 9/11 is effective and I loved his creative use of balloons. The device of the cast facing upstage moving quietly in slow motion behind dialogue gives what is being said an air of inevitability and the opening anthems are a perfect beginning for “Stuff Happens.”
This is a very strong play with some very smart writing matched in strength and intelligence by this production. Following 9/11 there was a lot of hysteria in the US. As the playwright says we saw “. . . public panic being used as a departmental power grab.” Who is actually making our country’s decisions and why? It’s incumbent on all of us to pay attention and speak up. Everyone, especially Americans, should see this play.
The NAC production of Stuff Happens continues to February 21.
Director: David Ferry
Set and costumes: Gillian Gallow
Lighting: Glenn Davidson
Sound and video: Jamie Nesbitt
Cast:
Laura Bush et al…………………………………….Lois Anderson
Janitor……………………………………………….Herbie Barnes
Iraqi VP et al………………………………………..Natasha Greenblatt
Dominique de Villepin et al………………………..Peter James Haworth
George W. Bush……………………………………Stuart Hughes
Donald Rumsfeld…………………………………..Greg Malone
Paul Wolfowitz et al………………………………..Andy Massingham
Cherie Blair et al……………………………………Amy Matisyo
Gerson et al…………………………………………Tawiah M’Carthy
Fleischer et al……………………………………….Alex McCooeye
Colin Powell………………………………………..Andrew Moodie
Tony Blair………………………………………….Christopher Morris
Dick Cheney………………………………………..Paul Rainville
Condoleezza Rice…………………………………..Karen Robinson
Hans Blix et al……………………………………..David Warburton