From: clavazzi@nyx.cs.du.edu (The_Doge)
Subject: Review of John Guare's "Six Degrees of Separation"
Organization: Nyx, Public Access Unix @ U. of Denver Math/CS dept.
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 93 22:58:42 GMT

[This review was written by me for "Intermission", a performing arts 
magazine here in St. Louis]

	On the premise that a critic should always admit any prejudices 
up front,  let me state for the record that prior to viewing the Repertory 
Theatre of St. Louis production of John Guare's "Six Degrees of 
Separation",  my only other exposure to the New York playwright's 
work was his 1971 tragicomedy "House of Blue Leaves", which 
enjoyed quite a performance vogue here last year.  I saw "House" in a 
Repertory Theatre production several years ago and found it a 
tiresome parade of neurotic New Yorkers who were, by turns, 
irritating, pathetic, or just plain boring.  Which is why I approached the 
current production of Guare's latest opus with a bit of trepidation.
	It would appear that in the intervening 20 years Guare's focus 
has shifted slightly; he now  appears to be writing (for the most part) 
about neurotic upper-class New Yorkers instead of the more 
economically marginal folk of "House".   Perhaps his own improved 
economic status is a factor.  As co-editor of the Lincoln Center New 
Theatre Review  and a successful screenwriter he probably knows his 
share of people with the same level of financial wealth and emotional 
impoverishment as the characters in "Six Degrees".  In any case the 
characters here are just as annoying and (finally) tiresome as the 
misfits that inhabited "House".
	It's a shame, too, since the structure of "Six Degrees of 
Separation" is fairly interesting.  The story revolves around Paul (John 
Latham), a "young, gifted, and black" con artist who infiltrates several 
upscale New York households by posing as the son of Sidney Poitier 
and promising all and sundry bit parts in his father's upcoming movie 
version of "Cats".   The emotional effects of his hustle are profound 
and not entirely negative, especially on art dealer Flan and his wife 
Ouisa (Geoffrey Wade and Glynis Bell).  But he also exacerbates the 
division between a gynecologist and his surly son (Joe Palmieri and 
Andrew Foster) and cons a pair of young aspiring actors (Philip Lehl 
and Clea Montville) out of their meager  savings, with tragic results.  
There are opportunities here for comedy, tragedy, and commentary 
on the link between con artist and victim.
	What we get instead is yet another attempt to portray the 
hothouse atmosphere of the east coast mega-city as a microcosm of 
western civilization and the upper-class angst  of Flan, Ouisa, their 
friends and dysfunctional families as emblematic of modern humanity 
as a whole.  I'm sorry, but I just don't buy it.  In a nation where 
hundreds of thousands of citizens are homeless or so under-
employed that they're close to it, Ouisa's inability to "connect" 
emotionally looks pretty trivial and her crises sound, to my ears at 
least, more like whining.  I'm reminded of a line from dear old 
professor Tom Lehrer:  "I think if people can't communicate, the least 
they can do is to shut up."  Instead of reminding us of the inter-
connected nature of all humanity (Ouisa elaborates, late in the play, 
on the notion that there are only six degrees of separation 
between any two people in the world) Guare's script points out just 
how out of touch the east coast intellectual establishment has 
become with the day to day reality of the rest of the nation and, for the 
matter, the world at large.
	That said,  I must admit that the performance aspects of "Six 
Degrees"  are first-rate.  The ensemble cast works well together and 
the work by the principals is outstanding.  John Latham is a splendid 
Paul, full of energy and sincerity.  His description of a completely 
fictitious Master's thesis (Guare's clever jab at trendy academic 
psychobabble) is a bravura bit of monologue and earned 
spontaneous applause the night we saw the show.  He's well matched 
by Glynis Bell as Ouisa, bringing a nice combination of brass and 
compassion to this pivotal role.
	Rep veteran Joneal Joplin is also on hand with a memorable 
performance in the relatively minor role of Geoffrey, a wealthy South 
African investor in Flan's latest get-richer-quicker scheme.  Clea 
Montville and Philip Lehl are believably naive and charming as the 
young couple who's victimization by Paul ultimately leads to tragedy 
for all concerned and Matthew Vogel is convincing as Trent, Paul's 
accomplice, willing victim, and the only one of the several "college kid" 
characters who isn't an obnoxious, self-absorbed clod.
	Scenic designer Carolyn Ross' sterile, elegant set nicely 
matches the emotional lives of Guare's characters, with the two-sided 
Kandinsky painting that is the play's central image given an 
appropriately strong position upstage center.  Dorothy Marshall's 
costumes are in the same line.  The show is directed skillfully by Rep 
Artistic Director Steve Woolf.  I don't know whether the decision 
to have characters seated in the front row watching the action prior to 
their entrances was his decision or the playwright's, but it's a good 
one and underscores the essentially artificial nature of the 
proceedings.
	The bottom line on "Six Degrees of Separation", from my 
perspective, is that a lot of talent has been put to use on a rather 
sterile piece of theatre that really has little to say to anyone outside 
the narrow, east coast urban culture that it represents.  If tales of 
spiritual crisis among the "cultural elite" are to your taste - or if you 
liked "House of Blue Leaves" -  you may enjoy this.  Personally, I 
found it tedious, despite its relatively brief running time of just over 
ninety minutes.  It confirms my suspicion that Guare needs to find 
something (and someone) else to write about.
	"Six Degrees of Separation" continues on the main stage at the 
Repertory Theatre of St. Louis Tuesdays through Sundays through 
February 5th.  Call 314-968-4925 for ticket information.
Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre