BROADWAY UNDERCOVER

Photo by Joan Marcus.

Kicking a Dead Horse, written and directed by Sam Shepard, which is currently gracing the Martinson Theatre stage at the Public Theater, is a Beckettesque presentation similar to Endgame.  Stephen Rea brings his considerable talent to this one-man piece as Hobart Struther, a man trying to find himself after achieving considerable success on Park Avenue who is  suddenly thrust into a very difficult situation in the middle of nowhere with a dead horse.   It is essentially a monologue discussing a variety of subjects such as the demise of the American west as we knew it, to United States politics, including the loss of hope.  Originally presented at the Abbey Theatre in Ireland, it’s a unique play which, unfortunately, leaves the audience not wanting more. Except for a brief appearance by a woman who does not speak, Rea does his thing quite admirably for 90 minutes.

A post-show discussion followed Tuesday evening’s performance which was both interesting and enlightening.  According to Rea, Sam Shepard has an obsession with Beckett and wrote this play in a similar style.  When asked why the scenery was deliberately phony he said, “It’s a play you know….it’s about the language,” and as he checked out the “old west” behind him his response continued with, “I think it’s rather beautiful actually.”  He felt that developing an American accent was just part of his job akin to learning the lines.  An audience member wondered how the response to the play differed  from Ireland to the United States to which he replied, “I thought it would be more poignant here than in Ireland but it was about the same. “  Rea admitted that it was a challenge to talk about the wild west since he’s an Irish lad, but Kicking a Dead Horse encompasses much more than its setting.

A western hat carries a degree of significance which, according to the actress sharing the bill with Rea who retrieves said hat, it’s telling Hobart in a somewhat spiritual manner that he has another chance.  The conversations between Shepard and Rea regarding the play were oddly enough not of great substance insofar as meaning,  and were not of a political nature, which it does touch on.  Rea told a story about meeting an elderly gentleman outside the theatre after a performance who put the meaning of the play very well.  “It’s very Beckettesque….it goes from birth to death.”We were fortunate to exchange a few words with Rea as we left the Public.  He’s a very low key but charming guy who agreed that Merrill shoes are the greatest and that Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me, the Broadway play he did in 1993 which we saw, was a lot fun.  Sam Shepard wanted him for this role and we know why.  

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