There's a lot of naughty fun in "God of Carnage," the 2009 Tony-winning comedy at Barksdale Theatre-Willow Lawn. It's the naughtiness of the four characters, sophisticated New Yorkers whose veneers peel off during the play — and of an audience enjoying the hostility under those yuppie facades.
Michael and Veronica Novak have invited Alan and Annette Raleigh to their elegant Brooklyn home to discuss the injury the Raleighs' son dealt the Novak boy on the playground. Two teeth are missing, a nerve damaged; but the parents are well-intentioned and are working out the sort of apology 11-year-old Benjamin might make to Henry.
But there is friction. Alan, a lawyer, rudely takes calls on his cellphone; his wife is as annoyed about this as his hosts. Michael yammers on about the pet hamster he freed last night; Annette is horrified that he dumped the creature on the sidewalk.
Before long, the language gets sharper. Veronica says Benjamin "disfigured" Henry, and Alan calls his own son "a savage." Suddenly, the people are screaming at one another in an ever-shifting set of alliances.
Not unlike its fellow Acts of Faith Festival entry "Lord of the Flies," "God of Carnage" muses on the fragility of civilized behavior — but in a more amusing vein.
There's a skilled ensemble at work here, steadily guided by director Bo Wilson. Jay O. Millman makes a genial Michael, credible as the Neanderthal he admits to being. Dan Stearns slides easily into the lizard skin of a cold and cynical capitalist. Jan Guarino is fully believable as the demure Annette, who ends up roaring once she's out of her self-imposed cage; and Susan Sanford somehow squeezes a little bit of humanity into the smug, judgmental Veronica.
As deft as they are with the language (Christopher Hampton translated from the original French), these four are fearless in their commitment to physical comedy — a real treat for the audience. Christian Hershey's sleek set and Lynne M. Hartman's subtly shifting lighting support the action, and Sarah Grady's costumes work well to define the characters.
The rowdiness gets extreme at times, but it's grounded in reality. Longtime couples drive each other nuts; louts can't really pass as liberals; children sometimes disappoint their parents.
"God of Carnage" elicits the laughter of recognition.
'GOD OF CARNAGE'
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