Centering around the wild and sometimes very dark energy of Jesse Eisenberg’s “Ben†(Eisenberg wrote this play as well) The Spoils is poignant and fun. Gathering a cast that includes Annapurna Sriram, Michael Zegen, Erin Darke and “Big Bang Theory”‘s Kunal Nayyar, Scott Elliott directs action that occurs in a one-room set with everyone satellite-ing Ben as he deals with his past as well as his now, wreaking havoc along the way.
Eisenberg makes quite a few salient points about modern day society here, but one never gets mired in them. He is simply too jumpy, dangerous and funny to let the barbs cut too deeply (but you’re sure to leave thinking about a few things said and implied during the play). As one expects from his “Big Bang Theory†work, Nayyar’s is a delight here. With “Kalyan†he plays a spot-on fish-out-of-water character, with an almost too-good-to-be-true nature, but his comic delivery is so delicious and his character so deeply drawn and played that for me the strongest moments here are when he and Eisenberg are fencing alone.
Needless to say, Michael Zegen’s modern day trying-too-hard yuppie is brilliant and Annapurna Sriram’s well-mannered yet subtly manipulative “Reshma†is played so well that you are both repelled and attracted to her, while Erin Darke’s “Sarah†is studied, sweet and yet so strong to the core.
The Spoils is a play that un-ravels over its two hours with these strongly-penned, expertly played characters, running around hilarious in often very uncomfortable moments that leaves one wondering about our own individual paths in life.
This is one play you truly should not pass up. The Spoils is written by Jesse Eisenberg, directed by Scott Elliott, stars Erin Darke, Jesse Eisenberg, Kunal Nayyar, Annapurna Sriram, Michael Zegenis and is produced by The New Group. The Spoils runs through June 28th and you can catch the play at 42nd Street’s new beautiful Pershing Square Signature Center in The Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre.
For more information on The Spoils and to purchase tickets, please visit http://www.thenewgroup.org/the-spoils.html
