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<p class=""><b style><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">Dorothy Silver and strong cast takes
audience 4000 MILES at Dobama</span></b></p>
<p class=""><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">Roy Berko</span></p>
<p class=""><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">(</span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Palatino;color:black">Member, American
Theatre Critics Association, Cleveland Critics Circle)</span></p>
<p class=""><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">There is an
air of an impending explosion about to happen in Amy Herzog’s 4000 MILES, now
on stage at Dobama Theatre.<span style>
</span>Interesting, though the artillery never goes off, the 90-minute play
captivates and absolutely holds attention.<span style> </span></span></p>
<p class="" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">4000 MILES
is a companion piece to Herzog’s AFTER THE REVOLUTION, a political family
drama.<span style> </span>Both scripts center on Vera
Joseph, a tell-it-like-it-is 91-year old grandmother.<span style> </span>She’s a communist who has outlived two husbands and all of
her friends.<span style> </span>She lives in a
rent-controlled apartment in New York, and is gradually losing it…her keys,
glasses, false teeth, hearing aid, checkbook and ability to remember whether
she has locked the door.<span style> </span>What she
hasn’t lost is her sense of commitment to life.</span></p>
<p class="" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">As is the
case with Herzog’s writing, 4000 MILES is a series of character studies rather
than a plot driven vehicle.<span style> </span></span></p>
<p class="" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">The play
was developed as part of Lincoln Center’s LCGT3 series, a developmental lab for
new works.<span style> </span>Intended for a short
run, the 2011 production received such strong critical reviews that it was
extended.</span></p>
<p class=""><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">Twenty-one-year-old
Leo, a self-proclaimed “hippie” arrives, unannounced, in the middle of the
night, at his grandmother’s New York apartment.<span style> </span>The feisty Vera doesn’t ask the obviously distraught boy
many questions, but knows something is wrong.<span style> </span>In baby steps, Leo relates that his best friend (Micah) was
killed by a truck while the duo were on a 4000 mile cross-country bike trip.<span style> </span>He also eventually tells her that his
original intent to stay with his girlfriend, a student at NY university, was
thwarted when she refused to allow him to move in.<span style> </span>She, it is later revealed, was confounded that Leo did not
come to Micah’s funeral, but continued his bike trek alone <br></span></p>
<p class=""><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">Vera doesn’t
make many demands on the young man other than that he act like a civilized
human being…taking showers, cleaning up after himself, and reporting accurately
on the tap of money to which she has allowed him access.<span style> </span>She feeds him, does his laundry, and
speaks her thoughts aloud.<span style> </span>They
lightly battle, Leo continues to brood, and they reach a point of underlying
affection toward each other, and live in a state of suspended harmony, smoke
some pot together. and even get through Vera’s interrupting a potential sexual liaison
between Leo and a girl he has somehow picked up.<span style> </span>Eventually, the big “reveal” takes place and the play comes
to a quiet close.</span></p>
<p class=""><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">The script’s
style is that of a new, modern playwright.<span style> </span>The language is 21<sup>st</sup> century, the inclusion of
technology and the differences between generations marks this as the work of a
contemporary, rather than modern playwright.<span style> </span>This is Neil LaBute and Doug Wright, not Tennessee Williams
and Arthur Miller.</span></p>
<p class=""><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">Dobama’s
production, under the direction of Joel Hammer, maintains our interest, though
it is a little slow at times.<span style> </span>This
should correct itself as the cast adjusts to audience reactions.</span></p>
<p class=""><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">Dorothy
Silver, the first lady of Cleveland theatre, wears the role of Vera and becomes
the woman.<span style> </span>She doesn’t portray
Vera, she is Vera.<span style> </span>Silver, as
always, gives the impression that the role was written specifically for her. </span></p>
<p class=""><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">Matt O’Shea
(Leo) is impressive in his Dobama premiere.<span style> </span>Like Silver, he makes the performance seem effortless.<span style> </span></span></p>
<p class=""><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">Both Rachel
Lee Kolis (Bec) and Kat Bi (Amanda) are effective as the two women in Leo’s
life.</span></p>
<p class=""><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">Laura
Carlson’s set well reflects a rent-controlled Village apartment of a little old
lady, complete with vintage knickknacks and dated electronics.</span><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:Arial"></span></p>
<p class="" style="text-autospace:none"><i style><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:<span style> </span>4000 MILES is a “nice” play, which gets
a “nice” production at Dobama.<span style> </span>It
will not shock, it will not compel, but it will hold your attention and may
take you back to examine your relationship with your grandmother and/or
grandchild and share a peek at both youthful and aging angst.</span></i></p>
<p class=""><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">4000 MILES runs
through January 6 at Dobama.<span style> </span>Call
216-932-3396 or <a href="http://www.dobama.org">www.dobama.org</a> for tickets.</span></p>
<p class=""><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">Dobama’s next
production is GHOSTS OF WAR, a one-person play starring George Roth.</span></p>
<span style="color:rgb(255,0,0)">•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••</span><br>