A delightfully disjointed assemblage of actively staged parodic scenes conflating characters and settings from Gone With the Wind with modern-day Southerners, Hollywood types, and intellectuals, Architecting is a riveting examination of American attitudes about race, homes, money, and gumption.
In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, a confused New York architect traveling to New Orleans to supervise the construction of a new housing development is accosted by an array of contemporary, historical, and fictional personages who force her to confront the ludicrousness of holding fast to dated opinions. In a particularly bold and intelligent scene drawn from Gone With the Wind, a question arises: Who was more racist, the Southern slaveholder whose babies were raised by "darkies" she considered "members of her family," or the Northern abolitionist who, looking to find a new Irish house servant, was appalled by the suggestion that she have someone she calls a "nigger" in her home?
Directed by Rachel Chavkin and created by the TEAM (the New York-based Theatre of the Emerging American Moment), this co-production with the National Theatre of Scotland by no means apologizes for the actions of the Confederacy, but prompts us to reconsider historically Southern values in the context of our country's capitalist spirit. Filming a remake of Gone With the Wind, a greedy producer (incisively portrayed by Frank Boyd) is committed to "correcting" the racist elements of the story so he can "brand" it for 2009 audiences: His solution is to add Martin Luther King Jr.'s great-grandfather to the cast of characters.
Though the 140-minute show's second act proves less penetrating than the first — it focuses more on the emotional ramifications rather than the intellectual complexities of the issues — the entire play is masterfully constructed. It is beguilingly performed by six plucky actors, including Jessica Almasy, whose portrayal of the author Margaret Mitchell is superb.
Presented by the TEAM, the National Theatre of Scotland, the Public Theater, and Performance Space 122 as part of Under the Radar and the Coil Festival at the Public Theater, 425 Lafayette St., NYC. Jan. 9-18. Remaining performances: Wed., Jan. 14, Thu., Jan. 15, and Sat., Jan. 17, 7 p.m.; Sun., Jan. 18, 2 p.m. (212) 967-7555 or www.publictheater.org. Also at Performance Space 122, 150 First Ave., NYC. Jan. 22-Feb. 5. Thu.-Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Sun., 5 p.m. (212) 352-3101, (866) 811-4111, www.theatermania.com, or www.ps122.org.