The titular city is shorthand for the decline of the American dream these days, and so the audience comes prepared to “Detroit”, the new play by Lisa D’Amour that kicks off Steppenwolf’s 2010/2011 season.
The play opens with an American scene; two back yards, one a Michigan-style brick build, the other a more precarious wooden frame. We meet Ben and Mary, two middle-class suburbanites dealing with a modern reality. Ben (Ian Barford) has just been laid off from his financial services job and Mary (Laurie Metcalf) is coping by drinking a little too much. Into this disharmony step Kenny (Kevin Anderson) and Sharon (Kate Arrington, fresh from her great performance in “A Parallelogram”), two recovering addicts, fresh from a stint in rehab. Or are they?
Steppenwolf’s new season explores theme of public/private self, how the public and private aspects of our lives unfold in an increasingly complex world. “Detroit” offers up a view of two marriages, where circumstances mean that physical proximity is no guarantee of connection.
Medcalf, as Mary, is the heart of the play and she turns in a nuanced, powerful performance. We see her recalibrating her place in the world as she develops an unlikely friendship with Sharon, the feisty, self-confessed “white trash” stranger next door. D’Amour repeatedly sets up oppositions for them, my favorite being the cheese they serve at their getting-to-know-you suppers. Mary serves hers with a sprinkle of pink Himalayan salt. Sharon unapologetically offering Cheez Whiz. It’s moments like these that give the play its American heart.
Director Austin Pendleton gets committed performances from all of his actors, especially as the relationships take an odd turn towards the end. I cannot say that I entirely believed the backyard bacchanal of the finale, mainly because the set up, the creation of humdrum normalcy was so well pitched. D’Amour has an ear for the rhythms and pattern of day to day speech, capturing that to and fro of getting to know someone new, as people reveal themselves to one another. This isn’t quite carried through as the party gets out of hand, with life-changing consequences.
This is another strong showing from Steppenwolf, a theatre company that is unafraid to explore modern, middle-class America. This world premiere shows that they still have a great ear for the modern American dream.
Detroit is at the Steppenwolf theatre until November 7th 2010. Tickets are available at www.steppenwolf.com
