‘The Lehman Trilogy’ Tells A Lot, Shows Little

 

Robert Pescovitz, Bradford Farwell, Brandon J. Simmons
in The Lehman Trilogy (Rosemary Dai Ross)

The Lehman Trilogy
ACT Theatre 

Through May 19, 2024

Does the ACT Theatre production of The Lehman Trilogy stand up to the play? Or does the play stand up to ACT’s version?
 
Of the Broadway production in 2021, Charles Isherwood, critic at Broadway News, said, “But for all its surface stylishness, "The Lehman (Trilogy)" is a stolid and rather monolithic slab of a show: a three hour and twenty minute talking Wikipedia page, so dense with description and narration, and devoid of drama - or even dialogue - that watching it is like watching very expensive paint dry, or maybe, to use a more apt metaphor, listening to cotton growing.”
 
There are a lot of glowing reviews out there that beckon you to come see an amazing story. The story is, indeed, amazing, though 160 years in the making. However, the script by Ben Power (from the first iteration by Stephano Massini), is written in what Seattle might think of as “The Book-It Style” where people refer to themselves in third person (Henry says, “He looked hard at his brother.” While looking hard at his brother.).
 
Book-It Repertory Theatre used that style often to great effect while also working very hard to theatricalize the novel it was based upon. Here, though, it’s a history book. This history tries to conflate decades into three plus hours. Three actors portray three brothers and all the myriad other characters throughout their lives.
 
This is a history of three brothers from Rimpar, Bavaria who, one after the other, immigrate to America. Henry (Robert Pescovitz), Emanuel (Brandon J. Simmons) and Mayer (Bradford Farwell) find themselves making a life in Alabama. They do not own land, they have a clothing store. Somehow, these three Jewish men are able to guess at trends to move from a less lucrative store to buying Alabama cotton raw and selling it to northern fabric factories, after attaching a middleman premium for their profit.
 
Of course, this is during slavery in the 1850s, but little is made of slavery in this script. Nor is there much acknowledgment that these brothers are perpetuating the southern way of life. Choices are made in the script to punctuate moments, like meeting a future wife. But usually, in plays, the exhortation is to “show us” and not “tell us” what happens on stage. There is almost no showing in this three plus hours, only telling.
 
Did dramatic things happen in their lives? Of course. But after telling us about the Lehmans moving to New York and being instrumental in the formation of the Stock Exchange, the most dramatized portion of the script is of Black Friday in 1929. Then begins a gruesome litany of which stock broker committed suicide first, then second, then third….
 
The end of the play has to do with the 2008 meltdown of the corporate entity, Lehman Brothers. But by then, all the Lehmans had long since left the company and all the brothers were dead. Once the last Lehman leaves the company, any emotional heart that was there was gone. Did those who came after tarnish the Lehman legacy? Certainly. But by that point, I don’t think we care.
 
This is all tall work for actors who have to speak constantly for all that time. It’s a feat of (what must be) torturous work. The actors do solid work here, but are hampered by the lack of theatrical stakes. We get to know the characters, but we care only so much as we are helped to care about them. Frankly, we’re not encouraged to care that much and that drags the entire script down.
 
If you are a history buff, and you’d rather get your history in three hours of watching instead of hours of reading a book, then this production is definitely up your alley! Otherwise, if you go, prepare by being well-rested, maybe have some coffee (alcohol may not be your friend here) and bring a portable seatbelt.
 
For more reviews, go to www.facebook.com/SeattleTheaterWriters. Please go to https://MiryamsTheaterMusings.blogspot.com and subscribe to get articles direct to your in-box!