God of Carnage, written by Yasmina Reza and directed by Main Street Players Artistic Director, Robert Coppel, proves that carnage does not solely refer to physical brutality and weaponry. Words are just as mighty.
When two couples, Alan and Annette Raleigh and Veronica and Michael Novak, meet to discuss the tussle between their sons Benjamin Raleigh and Henry Novak in the schoolyard, the result is nothing short of verbal carnage.
What begins as a polite placation in the face of awkward and tense circumstances quickly unravels to name calling, blame, and behavior that overwhelms the very schoolyard fight that brought the parents there.
The setting, the Novak home decorated with African elements, and the loud drumming introduction that plays overhead gives the audience clues that this confrontation is more than just a discussion – it’s war. Against who? It’s anyone’s guess. Blows and punches are thrown every which way and a battle of unified parents turns into a battle of the sexes revealing the fractures in each marriage.
Alan, played by Manny Catalino, cuts conversation with his work cell phone glued to his ear, and his wife Annette, played by Christine LaRochelle, though seemingly eager to work out the issue soon finds her bearings and unleashes her raw form. Veronica, played by Rachel Stone, and her husband Michael, played by Robert Anderson, show that underneath every thinly veiled facade is a volcano waiting for the right moment to erupt.
The night progresses into unhappy debauchery and amid the chaos, the Novaks and the Andersons find that Benjamin and Henry’s fight might have been the most simple problem. Michael says in the first act, “People are lumps, always being molded, even to the very end.” In this light, a childhood fight is not much different from those in adulthood, except that broken teeth can be mended, unlike broken spirits.
God of Carnage is on stage at the Main Street Playhouse, 6766 Main Street, through May 17. Performances are at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for seniors and $18 for students with valid ID. For more information and to purchase tickets visit www.mainstreetplayers.com.