Excellence Abounds in “The Bathrobe Club”

    A Directed Reading of a New Play by Adam Davies

Review by Adrienne Proctor

Cast of “The Bathrobe Club” Photo Courtesy of Andy Hopkins

Oklahoma City Repertory Theatre, CityRep, sponsors a directed reading of “The Bathrobe Club”. Directed by Daniel Leeman Smith with Donald Jordan advising, this developing work is written by, and based on real-life experiences of, Oklahoma City based writer Adam Davies. The play covers mostly one day in the life of Davies and his infamous companion Bobby Zarem.

Scott Hynes portrays Davies. The hard to love yet impossible to hate Adam is angry at everyone in the world, starting with himself. He possesses all the rage and fire of a misspent youth that’s not yet entirely gone. Hynes is dynamic as Davies, delivering an onslaught of arrogance and sarcasm, raging at times, and bursting with emotion during others. This actor is capable of the heavy task in front of him. He embarks on an emotional journey, and smoothly tugs the audience along with him, never losing his cool air or overall aloofness in the process. James Ong is resplendent as Bobby Zarem, the once shimmering star-maker of actor and city alike. Zarem’s is a name that is not well known, but his work very much is. Zarem created the “I Love New York” slogan that revitalized a dying city, but never received credit or recognition for that act. Cursing, shuffling, grumbling and accusing, Ong’s take on Zarem is raw and true. His harshness is blanketed by a deep friendship for his caretaker. Ong portrays both sides of this complicated man seamlessly.

Susan Riley is Brit Bayless, a mysterious young writer who shows up unexpectedly. Brit’s appearance throws a curveball into the well-organized mess of a life and home that Bobby and Adam share in Savannah, Georgia. Brit holds her own against two incorrigible men. Riley portrays her with both softness and strength, a needed break in the crushing tension of the two anti-heroes. She can bite back and throw an insult faster than the two men she’s charming off their feet. Elizabeth Hurd rounds out the cast, anchoring the scene with stage directions and narration. Her constant presence adds to the immediacy of the show. Hurd describes each scene, and with that description paints an elaborate mental image of the actions and objects in the show. This directed reading is without props, and Hurd fills in those gaps with finesse. She creates an image where none is supplied by the actor, as well as darkening or lightening the mood with every subtle inflection of her voice.

Discussion after performance of “The Bathrobe Club” with James Ong (Bobby Zarem) Scott Hynes (Adam Davies) Susan Riley (Brit Bayless) Playwright, Adam Davies and Director, Daniel Leeman Smith

The direction by Daniel Leeman Smith adds to the consistency of the show. He’s given the actors enough space to portray the characters, all of whom are based on real people. Where character ends and actor begins one may not even notice, and even though the actors are reading parts, they’re all richly involved in their craft. Natural and honest, all the actors do their charges justice. That is in no small part thanks to Smith.

One aspect that may improve is the length of the show. Currently a hefty two and a half hours, a directed reading will be longer than a production with props and visual aids. This is simply because a direction takes longer to read than an action takes to do. This show will benefit from a full scale version. Not only will a fully produced play smooth out the    actions, but the key physical components needed to tell Adam’s tale will add a powerful depth, when supplied.

Another note of critique is the question that this story raises. This play is in essence a love story. It’s a love story between two friends, locked together in their own wallowing miseries. It’s also a love story between Adam and the woman who comes between him and Bobby. But even more, this is a story of self-love, and the question it raises is an important one. Can someone else really save us? Or is that something only we can do ourselves? Can another person bring us back from the brink of our own ruin, or can they only wake us up just enough for us to get up and move ourselves? The questions are deep, but they come to mind during the evolution of Adam’s journey. Davies should continue to address such questions and keep polishing this play. It has beautiful potential and will tug at the heart and emotional depths of anyone who is lucky enough to witness it.

Special thanks to CityRep and Donald Jordan, for their dedication to helping aspiring directors, playwrights, and new talent.