Now in its world premiere for a limited Off-Broadway engagement at Lincoln Center’s Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater, N/A by Mario Correa – a new play about power politics inspired by former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, the first woman to hold the position, and left-wing activist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the youngest woman ever elected to Congress (who just again won the Democratic primary election for NYC’s 14th district, encompassing parts of Queens and The Bronx, on the press night I attended) – considers the contrasting backgrounds of two Democratic Congresswomen and their conflicting approaches on how to “Leave it better than you found it” (“Más que menos”), on the precarious path to progress in our divisive two-party system and even within their own splintered party.
Directed at a rapid-fire pace with increasing tension and sardonic humor by Diane Paulus, the heated two-hander stars Holland Taylor as “N” and Ana Villafañe as “A,” going at it from their first strained meeting in N’s office in the House of Representatives, where she welcomes A, gets to know her, enlightens her on the inner workings of government, and tries to enlist her support, through their many disputations and debates on critical topics and procedures, to the January 6 insurrection that results in a personal revelation by A that brings them together (if only briefly), to the ultimate generational shift and N’s attempt to offer unwelcome advice and aid as she exits her powerful role, in a well-researched behind-the-scenes look at the true events and actual dialogues from our recent history (2018-22).
Among the many hot button issues over which they disagree are immigration policy and ICE, climate change and healthcare reform, and how best to achieve their goals, whether through private dealmaking or public activism, keeping an eye on the prize of 218 seats for a majority vote or relentlessly sharing on social media and relying on public sentiment and the power of “We, the people.” It’s an ongoing battle of wills that pits a seasoned official against an impassioned idealist, a white woman of wealth, privilege, connections, and nepotism versus a Puerto Rican first-time candidate from a working-class family, in “a fight for the soul of the Democratic Party.”
Taylor and Villafañe masterfully embody the well-known characters, their familiar demeanors, attitudes, and speech patterns, distinctive beliefs and methods, moving actively around the stage while confronting each other, stating their cases, disclosing their backgrounds and achievements, and expressing their faith in and hope for the future (smartly noting that there is a difference between the two), in a perfectly balanced presentation of both sides.
In her spot-on portrayal of N, Taylor is acerbically funny and bitingly sarcastic, outspoken in her total aversion to the President, cold-hearted in her determination to get the work done and not to be affected by her critics, then sweet and loving in her telephone conversation with her granddaughter, and proud of what she accomplished thus far, including paving the way for the next generation of women (prior to her service, Congresswomen were not permitted to wear pants and there were only men’s restrooms nearby). Villafañe’s A is the image of her youthful age, a cell-phone junkie who records and shares everything, unstoppable in her radical actions, insistence on justice for all, and the need for transparency, emotional in her fight for immigrants, and willing to defy her party based on her uncompromising belief in moral leadership and conscience, not negotiations, favors, or concessions.
The thoroughly engaging, compelling, and believable performances – a veritable masterclass in acting – are supported with authentic hair, make-up, and costumes by Myung Hee Cho (a pink skirt suit for N, and a black pantsuit for A, which, thanks to N, she is now allowed to wear to work) that render the stars nearly identical ringers of the originals. Cho’s simple set, with but a few basic pieces of clear acrylic furniture, an essential desk phone, and the Speaker’s gavel, enables the women to sit, stand, walk, pace, and circle around one another unencumbered, without distracting from their central dialogues on the pressing socio-political topics. They are enhanced with the sounds of applause, protests, and rioting by Sun Hee Kil and Germán Martínez, clear lighting by Mextly Couzin, and background projections by POSSIBLE and Lisa Renkel that capture the current events, election results, and the red and blue divide.
N/A provides an entertaining and intelligent fly-on-the-wall perspective on two women who’ve had, and continue to have, a significant impact on the Democratic party, our American government, and the people they were elected to represent. Even if you’re not an aficionado of politics, you should appreciate the outstanding performances, focused staging, and effective design.
Running Time: Approximately 75 minutes, without intermission.
N/A plays through Sunday, August 4, 2024, at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater, Lincoln Center, 150 West 65th Street, NYC. For tickets (priced at $90-200, including fees), call (212) 239-6200, or go online.
