FringeNYC 2013: Marshall's Law

Review by David Koteles · August 20, 2013

A man and a woman are locked in a basement. A basement where dark secrets seem to be kept, waiting to be revealed. We learn the man and woman used to be best friends, until he “stole” her husband. Now the ex-husband, the object of both of their affections, is dead, and his gay partner may have been the cause of his death.

There’s also an unseen nine-year-old named Marshall involved—her son, his stepson—and he’s locked them in the basement as a way to force them to come to terms with the drama in their lives. And believe you me, there’s drama to spare in these people’s lives. Getting to the truth is complicated in Shadley Grei’s new play Marshall’s Law, produced by Midnight Drive Productions, currently seen in the New York International Fringe Festival; it’s rather like cutting off the head of a mythical Hydra—you cut off one and two more problems appear in its stead. But here everything’s revealed with bickering, quips, and long-suffering resentment. You might say Marshall’s Law is a kitchen sink drama for the Modern Family age.

This is the story of Zach, an angry, grieving widower with more zings than Judy Garland’s heartstrings, and Abby, an angry, grieving widow with more zings than Judy Garland’s heartstrings. Wait, aren’t there TWO characters in this play? Well, not really, and that’s the trouble here. It’s not that playwright Grei doesn’t have a voice, it’s that it’s still pretty unpolished. Indeed, he has a talent for banter and structure, however, this melodrama is underdeveloped and a bit hammy. It wants to be too much. Grei bogs down his story with revelations about adultery, incest, rape, prison sentences, bullying, Alzheimer’s, and murderous intentions flying out of nowhere every other minute; all being told with a snappy, all-too-knowing drollness akin to Steel Magnolias. Unfortunately, the humor doesn’t reach that level of pithiness or hilarity, and instead the one-liners come across as mean-spirited or, worse, amateurish. “Sometimes ‘I hate you’ is code for ‘I need you,’” shouts Abby, rather randomly. “Well then, I hate you,” retorts Zach.

David Avcollie’s direction doesn’t save this production from sinking. The actors are never given specific business to do and instead they wander the stage haphazardly in this 50-minute, real-time play. Zach is supposedly in the basement to do something, but it’s unclear what; in fact, much of what happens seems unmotivated. The exception is on those occasions when Zach and Abby answer questions that Marshall writes on index cards and slips under the basement door. Unfortunately, there’s no real insight provided by the playwright, director or actors as to what drives these characters, and they ultimately feel too similar and unrealized. While Grei’s script could be stronger, I couldn’t help but think different choices by Avcollie could have given this piece some shape. For example, it often feels like the actors are playing drama that isn’t actually there while glossing over important revelations that sit like elephants in the room. In fairness to Avcollie, Grei’s script does throw numerous detours at us. “You’re like a cutter, but all the razorblades are in your mind,” Abby says in quiet frustration. Yes, it sounds deep, but like many of the bon mots in this play, it’s doesn’t relate to what’s happening and is completely meaningless without a stronger foundation. This may be why Danielle Taddei’s performance as Abby feels undersized even on this small stage. Although she says she’s mad, makes threats and swears like a sailor, Abby comes across helpless and mousey in Taddei’s hands. Her performance is so interior, I wondered if she was acting for an unseen camera. This makes Abby a flat and whiney character for whom we muster little compassion, which doesn’t seem to be the playwright’s intention. As an actor, Grei fares better; he has more charm and a natural ease on stage, and that makes his character of Zach a bit more likeable. He’s also more skillful at pulling off those “sassy gay best friend” lines that fill pages of this script, and the jokes seem to land better in his hands.

I’m sorry to report that Marshall’s Law needs a lot of work. However, Grei demonstrates that he can be witty, and with more experience he may deliver us the wise and funny script he’s attempting to write.