When it comes to quirk, Recent Tragic Events definitely lives up to its creator’s other work. The Emmy-nominated television writer Craig Wright is famous for his episodes in Six Feet Under and Lost but thanks to Recent Tragic Events we can see that his talent for making the weird wonderful is not restricted simply to television. Set on the 12th of September 2001, Recent Tragic Events is a screwball story about a blind date knocked off course by a missing twin sister, an overly involved next door neighbour and a cameo appearance by Joyce Carol Oates – in the shape of a sock puppet.
Heavy on its deconstructionalist politics, the play makes a point of clarifying that the sock puppet is not trying to represent Joyce Carol Oates herself but a fictitious woman with the same name who happens to have produced a body of work that directly corresponds to Oates’ own. Alternately funny, serious and surreal, Wright’s play sidelines the growing body of post-9-11 literature in an interesting way, looking not at the tragedy of the day but at the absurdity of everything that comes after. Although well-steeped in discussions about superstition determinism, Wright mediates the play’s philosophising by drawing attention to the intoxication of its characters. We are not listening to people, but people drunk.
The University of Hamburg who put on the play do an excellent job having fun with the script. Henrike Holtz who plays Waverly inhabits the role to a T, seemingly as high-spirited and lovable as Waverly herself. Nicholas Taylor who plays Waverly’s date Andrew is similarly appropriate for the part – so flawlessly awkward that the awkwardness seems constitutional. Yet it is Ryan David-Stark who plays the neighbour Ron that is the real hidden jewel. A rough and confident wise-cracking American, Ron would not be an easy part for a skinny university student to play – let alone a German one. But David-Stark really makes the role his own, taking liberties with the script and guiding his fellow actors around the stage.
If there were any criticisms to be made of the show they would be limited to the text of the play itself, which can be heavy-handed in places and gets somewhat tedious towards the end. As far as the production goes: ace in the hole.
