Adam Driver provides the sparks in ‘Burn/This’

‘BURN/THIS’: Adam Driver & Keri Russell. Photo: Matthew Murphy

BURN/THIS
Written by Lanford Wilson
Directed by Michael Mayer
Through July 14, 2019
Hudson Theatre
141 West 44th Street
(855-801-5876), www.BurnThisPlay.com

By David NouNou

Death, mourning, guilt and grief make strange bedfellows in Burn/This.

Anna (Keri Russell) a dancer who recently became a choreographer, has just returned from her gay choreographer roommate Robby’s funeral where his family had no idea of what he did as a profession, who he was as a person, or that he was gay and had a lover. The general belief of the mourners is that Anna was his girlfriend. All they knew was from the news media that he was in a boating accident with his partner but didn’t want to know the details. Burton (David Furr) arrives from Canada to comfort the grieving Anna and offer solace. Burton is a well-to-do author and is serious about her. In comes her other gay roommate, Larry (Brandon Uranowitz), an adman that delivers everything with a biting sting, and they are all commiserating over the death of their friend and roommate, Robby.

Anna wants to be alone to pull her thoughts together, Burton leaves and Larry goes to his room. Like a bolt of lightning, Pale/Jimmy (Adam Driver) smashes drunkenly into the scene, in this case this vast downtown loft. He stumbles in with a barrage of incoherent cursing. Known as Pale professionally, “Jimmy” to friends, he is the brother of the deceased Robby. He is a month late in coming to pick up Robby’s belongings. Through his mumblings we ultimately learn of the guilt he feels for not knowing anything about his brother and abandoning him. Grief and guilt bring these two together. Anna finds out in the morning as he leaves that Jimmy is married and has two children.

Act II begins with Anna and Burton returning from a New Year’s Eve party. Burton is writing a new book, Anna is trying to choreograph a piece to dedicate to Robby, and Larry returns from Detroit after spending time with his family. This happy trio’s celebration is interrupted by Jimmy crashing in again and getting into a fight with Burton. Anna throws Burton out and Jimmy passes out momentarily. Thus starts the complications of their life.

The story is paper thin. How do these two mismatched people get to come together when the forces act against them? The late Lanford Wilson sets up the premise but for feasibility you have to stretch the imagination. I was not a fan of the 1987 Broadway production, featuring a psychotic John Malkovich and a more relatable Joan Allen as Anna, but in the original production there was a raw chemistry between Anna and Pale/Jimmy. Unfortunately, no such chemistry exists here. Keri Russell is gorgeous but lacks the theatrical presence of a frustrated choreographer. On the other hand, Adam Driver is hypnotic and galvanizing as Pale/Jimmy. So magnetic is his performance that when he leaves the stage, his presence can still be felt. It is unfortunate that it boils down to “The Beauty and the Beast.”’

There are two other interesting performances: One from David Furr as the losing suitor; he embodies strength, character and a sense of humor. The other is from Brandon Uranowitz, who supplies all the acidic humor with gusto and panache.

Director Michael Mayer has opted to infuse a comedic spin to the proceedings, and it is fine in some places, but it dilutes the more profound moments. There is enough solid acting and substance here to make this revival of Burn/This worth seeing, but the real burning comes from Adam Driver. He makes the stage come alive.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published April 19, 2019
Reviewed at April 18, 2019 press performance.

‘BURN/THIS’: (left to right) David Furr, Keri Russell & Brandon Uranowitz. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘BURN/THIS’: Adam Driver. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘BURN/THIS’: Keri Russell. Photo: Matthew Murphy