This Play Thinks Getting a Job Is the Ultimate Betrayal
If you've ever wondered what would happen if four chronically online leftists were snowed into a Williamsburg apartment and forced to confront their ideals, Chapter Meeting has the answer. It's loud, funny, chaotic, occasionally insightful, and proof that no one can turn ordering dinner into an existential crisis quite like Brooklyn.
You know that feeling of doomscrolling through endless bad news with no idea what to do about it? There's a new play that will fix everything. Well, perhaps not, but it's about trying, at least.
Written by Taylor Jon Gonzalez and starring Michelle Chan Bennett, Kiko Soirée, Kelly Whitley, and Ihea Inyama, Chapter Meeting revolves around the minutes of a small Williamsburg chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). The play is set in the bougie apartment of the chapter's token white girl on the night a blizzard hits New York City. The cast is rounded out by a militant lesbian, an influencer, and the sole man in the group, who betrays everyone by getting... a job. As you can imagine, tensions mount.
From the outset, Chan Bennett's portrayal of Mara was the most fully realized of the characters. While she leaned into the humorous stereotype of an edgy Brooklynite—with the C-word scrawled across her shirt, a girl band, and a penchant for violence—she also revealed some welcome emotional shifts as the story progressed.
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Soirée is also worth mentioning, giving their performance as Dee a grounded and enjoyable quality despite the character's sky-high maintenance. They provided plenty of laughs and sass, along with an emotional monologue in the second act. I do wish their bathroom monologue had been intercut with the scene in the living room for greater comedic effect, but that's on the writer.
Unfortunately, Inyama wasn't given much of an opportunity to do anything, while Whitley's performance came across as overly whiny, one-note, and ultimately miscast.
While there were moments that sparkled with quick, witty banter as the group planned their next protest, the piece felt repetitive and ran far too long. Entire sections could easily be lifted out, and there were a few lazy continuity issues that could be cleaned up. Despite these problems, the actors played well off one another, and the isolated, escalating chaos of the situation was frequently hilarious. They also seemed uncertain of some lines and cues, particularly in the first half, but that should settle after a few more performances.
Overall, while the play is in solid shape, more needs to be chipped away to expose the masterpiece somewhere inside. There are flashes of something truly great, but inconsistency keeps it from reaching its full potential, and I was left feeling indifferent by its conclusion. There's a strong foundation for an interesting new work here, but still plenty of room for improvement.
Chapter Meeting is playing at The Wild Project through August 1
