“The Best Man”
David Henry Hwang Theater
May 9 ““ June 3
“It was love at first puke.” Or so says Danny (Weiko Lin) in a sentimental reference to his romantic first encounter with Julia (Lisa Faiman) when intoxicated at a party.
In “The Best Man,” a twisted tale of secrets and romance written by Lin, a UCLA alumnus, alcohol stimulates more than just love.
The play follows the psychological issues and brooding secrets that plague two brothers in love with the same woman, Julia.
As an illegitimate child, Danny is a mentally unstable DJ making a living exploiting his barely legal girlfriend Misty (Cathy Shim). His instability is justified; his half brother, Mitchell, is about to marry Danny’s ex-wife, and Danny is expected to perform as the best man. He puts on a merry facade, maintained by the constant flow of substances in his veins, which camouflages the inner turmoil and suffering he faces seeing Mitchell steal his life.
Mitchell, in sharp contrast, is a responsible future husband. His willingness to follow his fiancee’s orders tickles Danny as he lightly comments about the relationship, “The castration is complete.” In this day and age, he would be considered “whipped.”
One would never expect such hostility to take place on such an innocent set. The homey Manhattan hotel suite with pastel-colored curtains, a landscape painting and a vintage lamp, is a stage for disaster and chaos. It should be suspected with the size of the bar and plethora of empty bottles, which liberally take up a quarter of the stage.
The group’s attempt to casually celebrate imminent matrimony inevitably leads to the confession of dark secrets and an unexpected turn of events. The tension between the four characters is subtle but evident upon their arrivals on stage; it could be cut by a dull butter knife. With a few bottles of Smirnoff, glasses of white wine, and shots of Bacardi on the rocks, the tension grows exponentially till not even a sharpened steak knife could slice through it.
The play is skillfully written. Lin masters the portrayal of the intimate relationship scene, a sharp contrast from his previous work depicting Chinese railroad workers in 17th-century America in “Tracks of Tears” and the Tiananmen Square Massacre in “Heavenly Peace.”
The sarcastic quips that roll off Julia’s tongue toward Misty are priceless. However, Faiman’s delivery is on the weaker side. Her performance, especially in the first half, is static and leaves much room to improve. The complexity of her lines could be portrayed with more attitude and force, but she holds back. She redeems herself toward the end when her fury hits the stage, and we see Julia’s wrath when Danny’s big secret is revealed.
Similarly, Leonard Wu’s performance as Mitchell is bland and redundant. The actions against him should generate more rage, but he remains too calm. It could be a character choice, however ““ part of director Kevin Lau’s intention to keep Mitchell reserved.
Lin’s performance as Danny is quite convincing. Danny’s dynamic persona allows Lin to delve deep into the unstable mind of the character and really portray the insecurities of men tormented by love and ominous secrets.
Although Misty has the least significant role in the development of the play, with no direct affiliation to the love triangle, Shim undoubtedly has the best performance and steals the show. Playing a naive runaway, unaware of the complexities of life by viewing her existence as an excuse to party, she is simply a giggly ditz. Her dramatic entrance sets the tone of her character; she prances in with doll-like pigtails and a bubbly, high-pitched voice that could pierce eardrums. Her ignorance and innocence regarding the other characters’ relationships provides a comedic relief for the otherwise dramatic and bitter subject matter of the play.
As twisted and bizarre as the plot line of “The Best Man” may sound, Lin is merely portraying the realities of modern day society and relationships, and despite some flaws, he manages to pull it off.