Presented by Robert Cole and Joyce Johnson in association with Jujamcyn Theaters and Charles Flateman/Kerrin Behrend, casting by Bernard Telsey Casting, at the Variety Arts Theatre, 110 Third Ave., NYC. Opened Sept. 25 for an open run.
Joining the list of plays inspired by Sept. 11 is Theresa Rebeck and Alexandra Gersten-Vassilaros' provocative and engrossing "Omnium Gatherum," now debuting in New York after its world premiere at Actors Theatre of Louisville last spring. While the other plays have been about personal reactions to the event, "Omnium Gatherum" deals with the political and social fallout. America's new relationship to the rest of the world, particularly the Islamic nations, is thoroughly debated.
The play's form is that of an elegant dinner party for seven representative types far from the destruction—before a surprise guest shatters the friendly banter. This form is not new: E.L. Doctorow used it in his only play, "Drinks Before Dinner," and Robert Sherwood won the Pulitzer Prize with it for his "Idiot's Delight."
Here many of the characters also resemble real people known for strong opinions: the domestic guru Martha Stewart, the conservative American novelist Tom Clancy, the late Palestinian commentator Edward Said, and the British commentator Christopher Hitchens. The discussion is heady, the topics hot, the menu hilarious: a satire with serious overtones.
However, there is the niggling suspicion that director Will Frears has settled for the easy laugh and made these people shallower than they need to be. Some of the symbolism is laid on with a trowel, and although the authors ask all the right questions, alas, they have no answers.
For example, Kristine Nielsen's hostess could not be ditsier, while Phillip Clark's thriller writer could not be more argumentative. Melanna Gray's token African American is a stereotype, while Jenny Bacon's vegan is mocked mercilessly. Edward A. Hajj's Palestinian speaks brilliantly, but is he supposed to be pontificating? And why is Dean Nolen's Britisher an alcoholic? Two things are patently clear: David Rockwell's set dazzles, as does the menu created by Alfred Portale.