by Richard Pacheco
The season
opened at 2nd Story Upstairs is British playwright Lucy Prebble’s
intriguing look ant the Enron debacle of greed, arrogance, deception and
corruption. The play tackles complex financial dealings with coherence,
intelligence and biting humor, it can be fiercely funny at times. The acting by
the large cast is superb, sharp, intelligent and vigorous, the characters
deftly etched, brought vividly to life with great skill and finesse.
The Enron
fiasco is well known, being the highly publicized and touted as an example of
corporate greed. “Enron”
premiered at the Chichester Festival Theatre (11 July – 29 August 2009), before London
transfers to the Jerwood Downstairs at the Royal
Court Theatre
from 17 September to 7 November 2009
and then the Noël Coward Theatre. It premiered on Broadway at the Broadhurst
Theatre on 8 April 2010 in
previews, with the official opening on 27 April. It takes a close look at the
smoke and mirrors financial practices that led to the corporation’s downfall
and the tragic effects it had on so many ordinary lives duped into the false
security of the company’s rise to prominence.
This tale
of greed and arrogance, highlights the true culprits of the fiasco, the men and
women behind it all who are so caught up with their own arrogance and smug
sense of their own intelligence that they plunge ahead with reckless abandon in
the face of their own personal frailties and flaws which compound the issues
with greater intensities and increasing impending disasters in scope and depth.
Once dubbed “America’s Most Innovative Company" for six consecutive years
it tumbled clumsily and speedily downwards to bankruptcy and disaster through
its creatively nefarious accounting fraud. The list of major banks involved is
simply appalling and astonishing.
But this is not dry financial
explanations, this is smart, savvy and sassy theater loaded with fireworks and
caustic one liners. It is full of clever theatrical touches through the use of
lights and costumes which make it fascinating to watch and compelling theater.
Tom Roberts is Ken Lay, the founder
of Enron and its CEO. He is a man who
plays politics with finesse and skill, who believes in his company and its
ability to rise to the top no matter what. He is not really focused on the
realities of business bur remains in his mentally cloistered world where all is
perpetually well. Roberts is excellent in the role, adept at making Lay’s self
absorbed clueless attitude highly believable.
Ed Shea is Jeff Skilling,
President, CEO and COO of this behemoth financial disaster, steering it to its
inevitable end. Skilling is ruthless, self absorbed, egotistical and overly
self confident believing in his own flawless ability to come out on top no
matter what, including some quirky and questionable financial bookkeeping
tricks. Shea is brilliant in the role, the perfect mixture of arrogance and
visible flaws. His Skilling is self-absorbed and self assured to the point of
arrogance with no concern for anyone but himself and his status. It is
brilliantly articulated with chilling detail and finesse, making this sleazy
man ability to convince others of this intelligence and rightness in his
actions.
Ara Bohigian is CFO Andy Fastow who
devises the nefarious accounting scheme that brings Enron’s world tumbling down
on itself. Fastow began establishing numerous limited liability special purpose
entities (a common business practice in the energy sector); however, it also
allowed Enron to transfer liability so that it would not appear in its
accounts, allowing it to maintain a robust and generally increasing stock price
and thus keeping its critical investment grade credit ratings. Bohigian is
perfect in the role, bristling with enthusiasm for his clever if devious plans in accounting. Yet,
he handles the transitions well when Fastow begins to realize this house of
cards is beginning to crumble with disastrous effects for all concerned. Bohigian display an element of sincerity and
regret when needed in a totally convincing performance that is also filled with
occasional humor.
Tanya Anderson is the only female
executive in the mix, Claudia Roe, (Rebecca Mark-Jusbasche) who ends up being one of the few who display
any integrity and moral compass whatsoever in this morass of greed and
self-centeredness. She is smart, savvy and knows how to play in a man’s world
with daring and ruthless determination to match theirs. Yet she knows when to
walk away as well, dignity intact before it all comes tumbling down on
everyone’s head. Anderson is
excellent as the smart, sexy and savvy Roe.
She adroitly conveys the sense of intelligence and conviction she has at
every turn.
The rest of the large cast, from
lawyers to traders to the Koch Brothers and reporters fleshes this all out with
skill and exuberance, never missing a beat. There is plenty to delight in here
and it contuse throughout the production.
Director Trevor Elliot keens the
entire thing relentlessly on track, barely allowing us to catch our breath in
the audience. The pacing is fast and furious and perfectly on pitch. The set
and lighting design by him is perfect and totally imaginative fitting perfectly
into the production enhancing it and adding so much to it like the projected
words which abound not only on the screens behind but engulf the actors on the
floor and surrounding them.
Costume designer Ron Cesario shines
here too, devising intelligent and clever solutions like his raptor heads and
costumes for the rampant debt. The costumes add so much to it all.
You won’t want to miss this
intelligent and articulate play that swarms with taut, clever humor throughout
as well. If it has any flaw at all it is that the characters are for most part
underdeveloped, but it seems like a necessary step with the complexity of the
underlying financial issues which it makes abundantly clear and understandable
throughout.
"Enron" (Oct. 9 – Nov.2)
@ 28
Market Street, WARREN
RI
1(401)247 4200
