Suburbia comments on life, sympathy and angst

Oberlin gets a dose of reality Bogosian-style in Suburbia

The word suburbia conjures up the image of a calm world outside the hustle-bustle of the city, with station wagons, country clubs and happy families. Eric Bogosian's Surburbia presents a picture window look into life in American surburbs. However, the world Bogosian reveals is not a simple and cheerful one. The parking lot of the local 7-11 becomes the stage for the playing out of a completely different set of problems that emerge in Suburbia.

This weekend Suburbia is being performed under the direction of sophomore Brad DeCecco. The show features a young director and cast. The play itself is very contemporary and brings up issues that thread through the lives of its audience. It's tempting to compare Suburbia to other contemporary dramas like Reality Bites or to see it as a much more realistic, gritty "Beverly Hills, 90210." The best way to describe the setting of Suburbia to an Oberlin student is to ask him or her to recall the old days, hanging out in suburbia, at the mall or at the 7-11. The entire play is set in front of the neighborhood 7-11 where its characters seem adrift in the world around them. Issues arise among the early twenty-something characters dealing with AIDS, racism, success, friendships and relationships; those typical issues that Generation Xers confront.

As a microcosm of the real world, the parking lot becomes a platform for the political discourse and philosophies of Jeff, Tim, Sooze and their friends. Jeff, played by first-year David Schneid, is the most prominent thinker, questioning the world around him and feeling the angst that many Obies will find familiar. "It's my duty as a human being to get pissed off," Jeff says angrily. "Not that it makes any difference in the first place."

Alienation and a sense of futility weigh heavy on Jeff's shoulders. Scheid does a fine job in the role, but it's the script itself that sometimes seems a little ridiculously serious at times. At a time of confrontation between Tim (first-year Ben Grubb) and Norman (first-year Rajiv Punja), the Pakistani owner of the 7-11, Jeff's lines are weak and almost cheesy. "They're people. They have feelings," he says, trying to quell Tim's racist hatred. Throughout the first act it's possible to question whether Bogosian wrote the play mocking the self-important attitudes of the characters or if he intended their words to be taken seriously. For a little bit of an explanation there is the introduction that Bogosian wrote for Suburbia where he says, "The strangest aspect of growing up where I grew up is thinking you know everything about the world, when in fact you know nothing."

The characters in the show struggle to grasp an understanding of what they want, and where they are in the world. As DeCecco describes it, Suburbia has a lot to do with dreams, escape and realities. Sooze (first-year Kym McCarthy) plans on heading to New York to follow her artistic performance career. McCarthy, like the other actors in Suburbia, was well cast in the role she plays. In certain scenes, arguing with Jeff about racism and idealism, McCarthy's character clicked into place naturally. The only weakness of her performance is a certain lack of energy. In Sooze's example of performance art, "Burger Manifesto: Part 1 - The Dialectical Exposition of Testosterone," McCarthy's performance lacks the edge that the piece begs for.

Tim, played by Grubb, escapes through alcohol. To many Tim may come off as one of the least likeable characters of the show. He spouts off chains of racist language and harshly criticizes his pals. But ironically Tim can be admired for this very same behavior; he's the only character who tells the honest truth as he sees it. "People react in different ways," said DeCecco about this aspect of the show. "A lot of people will want to attack the script. But it's not gratitious racism, it's making a point." Grubb gives an authentic portrayal, ranging in emotion from apathetic to angry and threatening. However, frequently tucked in the corner by a trash can on the sidewalk, speaking over the ruckus of his friends and due perhaps in part to Grubb's own voice, portions of Tim's lines unfortunately get lost.

Each actor in Suburbia does well in their role simply because the show is well cast. Notable performances include that of Rachel Seligman as Bee-Bee, the faltering sidekick of Sooze. Timidity and distress are well done by Seligman as her character copes with her own personal difficulties and the failure of her peers to recognize her anxiety. It is Bee-Bee's story that sparks in the second act, and along with other increasing conflicts, indicates to the audience that Bogosian did intend to communicate seriously about the issues of today's youth.

The flaw of Suburbia is in its script and Bogosian's failure to definitively communicate its heavy, thought-worthy issues. But under DeCecco's direction and the cast's efforts the script does improve. The set, an outdoor perspective of a typical 7-11, complete with phone booth, dumpster and genuine 7-11 signs aids the imagination and during the first act nearly becomes a reality. The lighting creates the cast of the parking lot lights, muted and not necessarily focused on the character's movements. Characters wander in and out of pools of light, sometimes pensive in the shadows, other times bathed in full brightness. With the polish of pre-show refinements for actors and technical elements Suburbia promises a concise performance.

What is most important to take away from Suburbia are its reflections on the restless and disturbed lives of suburban youth. Their isolated realities enlarge onstage and confront the audience. Suburbia is a study of the angst, conflicts and frustrations that emerge from its characters. It may spark thought in the minds of the audience, many of the questions brought up in the show will sound familiar, many of the concerns will resonate in Oberlin ears.

Suburbia is being performed in Wilder Main on Friday, Feb. 23 and Saturday, Feb. 24 at 7:30 p.m. Sponsored by the Oberlin Student Theater Association.

Suburbian scenes: Reflections on middle class America by former Obie Eric Bogosian take center stage featuring Ben Grubb, Kym McCarthy, and David Schneid. (photo by Adam Reitano)