Jackalope Theatre Company presents DUTCH MASTERS Review: Gut-Wrenching Honesty

“Don’t you recognize me? I’m your shadow.”

Eric and Steve are sitting in Eric’s living room. They have just spent an unexpected afternoon together and over the course of a wild string of events, truths come to light that neither party expected. Eric asks this question, and Steve is silent – as is the audience. As the silence extends, you might just feel yourself lean in because Greg Keller’s play is a roller coaster ride, and Clark’s production certainly leaves no prisoners.

Jackalope Theatre Company Presents Midwest Premiere of Dutch Masters

Written by Greg Keller, Dutch Masters takes place in New York City in the summer of 1992. Steve (Sam Boeck) and Eric (Patrick Agada) meet by chance on a D train going uptown, and a conversation of small-talk turns into an afternoon that neither quite expected. A train ride turns into smoking pot on a bench, which quickly moves into an afternoon in Eric’s apartment. Truths about the past are revealed, and whether or not they were ready for it, Steve and Eric learn that fate can be funny, and sometimes we are more connected than we even realize.

Keller’s play walks a line between dark comedy and frighteningly serious, creating a tension that radiates throughout the theater. Looking around at this opening night audience, there was a wave of laughter that would quickly turn into cringes, and even transition into dead silence. This wave kept moving from start to finish, creating an exciting yet unsettling feeling of not knowing where the story would go next.

Scenic Designer Ryan Emens’ set begins fairly minimalistic, with a set of New York subway seats on stage left, and a park bench on stage right. These two elements live right in front of a large fence with graffiti at the bottom. Emens’ set offers just enough to give us a sense of the location, and there is little space between the audience and these pieces. Clark and Emens’ collaboration allows us to focus more on the characters themselves, and the feelings that both of them have surrounding their new “friendship” – inviting us to even feel those emotions alongside them.

Viscerally Honest Production

Clark does not waste time throwing the audience into the action. Early in the play, Eric convinces (or semi-forces) Steve to get off the train with him, and join him for smoking some pot in the park. Agada showcases an impeccable sense of comedic timing through these interactions, creating a sense of uncertainty on whether or not he can be trusted as he urges Steve to join him along for the adventure. While the situation feels questionable, there is also a certain level of light-hearted fun.

Eric leaves Steve to wait for him center stage, and with such a minimalist set, there is place to look other than this lone actor. Clark masterfully crafts this moment as we watch Boeck, isolated, and slowly breaking down, waiting for the unknown. When Eric returns, what will happen next? Where will they go, and did he make the right choice to follow? Boeck fills the moment with a brutal sense of authenticity, inviting us to feel for him and anxiously wait for the same answers.

Brilliant staging in combination with a powerhouse ensemble and a gut-wrenching story make Dutch Masters, in this writer’s opinion, a must-see.