REVIEW: Conscience Provides a Bracing, Enjoyable Lesson in Civics
Through 11/9 @ Curtain Call Theatre, Latham
Photos by David Quiñones Jr.
“Conscience is the most enjoyable civics lesson you could ever hope to attend. It’s frightening, chastening and quite a relief all at once.”
Conscience by Joe DiPietro at Curtain Call Theatre through 11/9 is a bracing, historically political blast from the past that just goes to show you that, as much as things change, they’ll always come around again.
The play follows the rise and fall of the red-baiting Senator Joseph McCarthy and the first woman to be elected to both houses of Congress, Margaret Chase Smith of Maine, who courageously stood up to him and took a lot of flak for doing so.
She concludes the first act with her Declaration of Conscience on the Senate floor which held McCarthy to account (without naming him) and the Republican Party which supported him. Only six Republicans supported her speech and it would take four years for McCarthy to be censured. Yet, she knowingly iterated, “I don't believe the American people will uphold any political party that puts political exploitation above national interest.”
First-time director, Richard Lounello, who has decades of stage and film experience, is blessed with a superlative cast. Annalisa Loeffler as Smith is giving a premiere performance, snapping off her lines, squaring up against the “idiot lush” McCarthy (as she calls him) and lending a strong shoulder to her assistant Lewis (Ben Amey, who is the most discreet secretary in a molecular changing performance).
The other most welcome Curtain Call debut is by Joanna Feuer playing McCarthy’s factotum, Miss Kerr, who is so subservient and supportive of her bully that she will be Mrs. McCarthy by the play's end.
Steve Leifer adds to his rogue’s gallery of portrayals (Shylock, Judge Turpin, Nixon) with this Wisconsin loudmouth. He is unrepentantly boorish, clearly having a great time whether spewing invective, slapping fannies or tapping nuts. When you’re famous, they let you do it.
The striking set by Lucas A. Degirolamo is red-as-sin carpet, walls, blinds and moulding. It’s either representing the red party or the seventh circle of hell. There were also a couple of startling, fun pull-out pieces on the set.
Perhaps the set could have helped Rich speed the play along if there were downstage entrances or a concept that kept the full cast onstage. With many direct address speeches downstage and scene changes, the play’s running time was unnecessarily lengthened due to everyone entering from the same upstage right location.
Costumes by Denise Dygert, especially Senator Smith’s dresses, were period-pretty. Lighting by Elizabeth M. Stewart was very effective, creating many spaces quickly with a surprise view into the corridor of power.
The second act is much better because once Tailgunner Joe is antagonized, the scenes have more depth, antagonism and heat — you get all the McCarthyism in full flower. The parallels with our current Administration were sharper as well, with numerous lines that were too close for comfort. Although, it seems very quaint that what cut McCarthy’s legs off in the end was simply Joseph Welch’s televised statement “Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last?"
Conscience is the most enjoyable civics lesson you could ever hope to attend. It’s frightening, chastening and quite a relief all at once. After all, according to this play, there was an end to the Red Scare.
Conscience plays through 11/9 at Curtain Call Theatre. Tickets: www.curtaincalltheatre.com
