“Sons of the Prophet” at 2nd Story Theatre

by Richard Pacheco

            “Sons of the Prophet” is a play by Stephen Karam which is the second play in the downstairs theater at 2^nd Story and their second production this year. It is a comedy-drama about a Lebanese-American family and was a finalist for the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. This production shines with solid acting, loads of humor and some touching moments all from pain and suffering. It is sheer delight.

“Sons of the Prophet” premiered in a production by Huntington Theatre Company in Boston in April and May 2011. Sons of the Prophet opened Off-Broadway at the Laura Pels Theatre on October 20, 2011 (after previews from September 28) and closed on January 1, 2012. This play was commissioned by the Roundabout Theatre Company. The play was directed by Peter DuBois and starred Yusef Bulos (Bill), Jonathan Louis Dent (Vin), Santino Fontana (Joseph), Chris Perfetti (Charles) and Joanna Gleason (Gloria). The play was a finalist for the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. and won the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Play, the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Play, 2011-12.

Joseph is a 29 year old gay Lebanese man who ends up caretaker to his family after his father ends up in a hospital through a freak auto accident where he collides with  a stuff ed dear in the road, a prank by a high school student. The father later dies from a heart attack while in the hospital which leaves Joseph in charge of his younger (18 year old), also gay brother and increasingly ill uncle. Joseph, a former marathon runner is ever afflicted by increasingly strange ailments which continue to debilitate him. He is a distant relative to Kahlil Gibran, the world’s third largest selling poet after Shakespeare and Lao Tzu. The play is about how people endure the unendurable, manage to survive, in fact even thrive when faced with unfair and often cruel fate which brings them down. Joseph works for a crazy wealthy woman for the health insurance, who keeps trying to fix him into some kind of book project—she is a publisher—that ties in with Kahlil Gibran with his family of an undeniable realm of profit.

Jed Hancock-Brainerd is Joseph, a man beset by continual disasters in his life with no rhyme or reason. He is a man who every time he turn around some new disaster shows its face and takes it toll on him and his family. From the stuffed decoy deer his father hits on the road as the high school prank to his every increasing ever more strange illness taking their toll on his body to the complexities of his affair with a reporter, it all drags him down even further. Hancock-Brainerd delivers a wonderful performance, one with taut, dark humor and touching moments which move and effect. He is superb in the role. He is the emotional heart of this play.

Paul Faber is Joseph’s crazed boss, Gloria. Gloria, a publisher and book packager was run out of the publishing business in Manhattan when the Holocaust survivor memoir turned out to be fiction. She is frenetic and overly anxious, at times an out right nut case. Faber is a delight as the frenetic publisher, ready to fall apart at the seams whenever necessary, ready to intrude at all times and at all costs.

Andrew Iacovelli is the younger brother, Charles an extrovert who berates for dressing like a lesbian and he is very sardonic. Iacovelli is excellent as the wise cracking, extrovert.

Vince Petronio is Uncle Bill, who finds himself angry at what happened to his brother—the deer with the car incident—and his ever increasing illnesses which leave him more and more debilitated and weakened. Petronio is a pleasure as the every cranky, blunt and irascible uncle.

Charles Lafond is Timothy a reporter covering the freaky deer accident for local televisions news. He also turns out to be gay and ends up attracted to Joseph which adds a whole subplot to the play. He delivers a fine performance, sincere and convincing.

Nathan Goncalves is Vin the high school football star who is worried his prank might bring to an abrupt end his budding football career. He is adopted and this prank could throw his world into a shambles all around. Goncalves is fine in the role, believable and honest in the brief role.

Finally we come to Tray Gearing and Susan Bowen Powers who create the rest of the roles from Dr. Manor to tickets agents and board members for the meeting. They handle the small multiple roles with great versatility and conviction, fleshing it all out.

Wendy Overly directs it all with a keen eye to the humor often found in Gloria, Joseph and Bill. It all moves along with energy and zest, full of not only humor but touching moments as needed.

Set Designers Trevor Elliot and Moe Assaud are clever and resourceful in their set, making the most out of the least, having furniture do most of the work and smartly adding some fine touches like sayings from Gibran to emphasize it where needed.

Costume designer Jessie Darrelbadm does a fine and effective job with costumes.

It continues at 2^nd Story Theatre, downstairs until Nov. 24. 28 Market Street, Warren, RI in repertory. Tickets are $25 and under 21 for $20. 401-247-4200 or http://www.2ndstorytheatre.com/tixfaq.htm