From Up Here

This weekend has just been full of great theater. Today, I had the privilege of seeing From Up Here, a play by up-and-coming playwright Liz Flahive. It had been quite a while since the last time I saw a fully-produced straight play, and this was no disappointment.

The story follows a uber- dysfunctional American family in the aftermath of the eldest son's pseudo-violent outburst against fellow classmates a la Columbine High School. Ostracized by the school community and undergoing constant surveillance, Kenny struggles through school, with only his sister Lauren as a companion to sit with him during the lonely lunch hour. Their mother, Kate, is a rather OCD, incredibly Type A figure who cares deeply for both her adolescent children but doesn't know how to reach them; neither does her new husband, Dan, a bumbling, domestic man who wants nothing more than to have a child of his own with his new wife so that at least one of their children will love him. Her sister, Caroline, is a Peace Corps volunteer/mountain trekker who has made a career out of "wandering" and is one of the only adults whom Kenny trusts and looks up to. As he prepares a speech of apology to the entire school, the family is pushed to the brink of falling apart by a series of events that are simultaneously bizarre and yet believable, precisely because when it comes to crazy families, we've all been there.

Each of the characters was so distinctive and parts of them will remain with you even after you leave the theater; Kenny, who is so serious that can't help but take the weight of the world onto his thin shoulders; Lauren, who uses anger and sarcasm as a shield to protect herself from the trials of being a teenager, yet is poignantly loyal to her brother throughout; even Dan, who makes potpourri from scratch and packs lunch for the kids in a quiet effort to show that he can care, deeply, even if he is a stepfather. Tobias Segal (only 23!), who plays the tortured Kenny, gives a phenomenal performance, as does Tony award winner Julie White, who simply nails the role of his pained mother. These two alone would make the whole production worth seeing, but amazingly, the rest of the cast is strong as well. The show had the audience laughing out loud and then reduced me to tears in its final moments. It was heartbreaking while remaining hopeful; refreshingly honest and funny.

It's no surprise this production has garnered so many awards. Go see it at the Manhattan Theatre Club; the production is co-presented by Ars Nova.