Fatherland
World Premiere of Fatherland by R. J. Hanson from Full Circle Productions
My thoughts on Fatherland or…”old bruises,” new wounds
R. J. Hanson’s play Fatherland is difficult to categorize. It has elements of many different genres. It certainly owes a debt to Greek tragedy, but it is among other things an intricately plotted family drama heavy on revenge. You may think you have everything in this dark Texas tale figured out, but you won’t know everything until the last scene is over and even then, you will most likely have questions.
In the interest of not revealing too much about the plot of this complex play, I will be purposefully vague. It is 1960 and oil is king in Texas. Buck, a Texas Ranger, is investigating the double homicide of a wealthy couple Klaus and Helena, whom he knows well.
Enter Silas, a young physician and the son of the deceased couple, covered in blood and trembling. Silas and Buck are close as brothers and Buck struggles to understand the crime. And for the next ninety minutes secrets, lies, and past traumas are revealed. As can be surmised from the title, Nazis are heavily in the mix.
The story unfolds mainly on the porch of Buck’s rustic cabin where he and Silas talk about their lives. Director Andrew Worley, who creates a pervasive uneasiness, keeps these scenes casual and R.J. Hanson’s dialogue is both naturalistic and entertaining. Other scene areas are suggested by Bobby Williams’ lighting and moving set pieces.
It does not take long for this story to turn very dark and if you are triggered by incest, child sexual abuse, and graphic descriptions of murder, this who done it, why done it tale may trouble you.
However, if you cover your eyes and ears, you will miss some very fine acting. Trevor Huckabee serves as the narrator of the piece and is also excellent as the deputy and right out of a WWII film noir as a Nazi.
Joshua Rentschler, looking like a Marvel superhero disguised as a Texas Ranger, is Buck. He cuts a powerful figure on stage and gives Buck a strength that belies his troubled history and past sins. Rentschler’s soft-spoken demeanor gives Buck a pensive aura and a hint at problems beneath the surface.
From his first entrance shaking uncontrollably, Alex Hanson fascinated me as the strange, enigmatic Silas. His Silas seems convincing but yet I hesitated to believe the character. I admired how Hanson deftly kept the audience at odds with Silas This is a fearless performance, sometimes literally in your face almost daring you to understand the complicated young physician who spouts some horrific dialogue as nonchalantly as a grocery list.
The preview of Fatherland I attended was beset by technical problems and there were a couple of staging choices I didn’t understand, but that did not detract from my enjoyment of or involvement in the play. There is much to admire in this twisted Texas tale.
