God of Carnage

If playwright Yasmina Reza writes what she knows, her deliciously brutal God of Carnage (translated from the French by Christopher Hampton) may make viewers relieved not to know her. True, one would be hard-pressed to get embroiled in a battle of infantilism from which there seems to be no escape. But as evidenced by this co-production of Jewish Ensemble Theatre and Performance Network Theatre, with a sublime ensemble wonderfully directed by David J. Magidson, such childishness can be as gratifying to recreate as it is deviously funny to observe.

The instigating event of the play takes place offstage and is perpetrated by characters that never appear. An incident of playground violence between preteen boys prompts the victim’s parents (Sarab Kamoo and Joseph Albright) to invite the attacker’s parents (Suzi Regan and Phil Powers) for an informal conference that will put the matter firmly behind them. Instead, initial apologies and pointedly civil discourse give way to utter amazement that people can simultaneously rise above something and shove it down another’s throat — this is but the first sign that things are not going to go smoothly. What follows is barely polite savagery at best, which continues to devolve (yes, rum is involved) through the play’s single act as the parents lash out at each others’ characters, actions, and attitudes.

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