This Is Our Youth Review

When Kenneth Lonergan’s slacker drama first appeared in New York in 1996, it was deemed a revelation. A true eye-opener into the world of early twenty-somethings in a much grittier New York City than we know today. A strange and fascinating thing has happened with the Steppenwolf revival currently playing the Cort Theatre: the play has almost become a period piece.

While the concept of a young adults desperate to flee the nest and forge ahead into adulthood (but having not a clue as to how) will still ring true, This is Our Youth now offers audiences a window into the pre-tech era that seems ages ago. Reagan is president, one must communicate with friends via a phone tethered to the wall, and New York City is a place where drugs and crime haunt even the Upper West Side.

It is this neighborhood which serves as the location for the action. As beautifully designed by Todd Rosenthal, the set presents a cut-out of one small apartment.  Behind and all around it, stretch other stark buildings and fire escapes, with windows peering down like ever-watchful eyes. It’s a clever design that both maintains the plays’ intimacy, and serves as a constant reminder of the threat of the City.

The apartment belongs to stoner Dennis (Kieran Culkin).  Late in the night, his painfully awkward friend Warren (Michael Cera) comes storming in with a bag of cash and a suitcase of odd knick-knacks. Another bag (of coke) comes into play, as well as the hope of seducing a girl (Tavi Gevinson). These seemingly unrelated elements get the plot moving.

Though you should be warned: I use the word “plot” quite loosely. The main thrust involves Warren stealing cash from his lingerie-dealer Dad, but the play is a character piece through and through. The two friends debate on how to spend the money (drugs and sex are first on their list), but Lonergan’s aim is presenting a slice of life. How do early twenty-somethings in 1982 try to leave their parents nest even if they don’t quite know how to be an independent adult?

The lack of action pushing things forward may put off many theatre-goers, but thanks to Anna D. Shapiro’s tight direction, I was thoroughly captivated throughout. Shapiro, famous for directing firecracker plays like August: Osage County, successfully amps up the humor to find a great balance between light and dark moments. This feat is also in large part due to the three stars (all making their Broadway debuts) who aptly put their characters inner emotional lives on display.

Michael Cera is the big draw, and he mostly doesn’t disappoint. He can often dip into his George Michael shtick from “Arrested Development”, but his awkwardness gets plenty of laughs. There is stiffness to Cera’s body and a tendency to end his lines with the same upward inflection. But, his ungainly mannerisms and tics telegraph that something is “off” with Warren.  As the play goes on, and Cera skillfully navigates the troubled emotional arc of the character, he occasionally stumbles upon brilliance. When he finally emerges on the other side of this tumultuous night he is a changed person, and the emotional payoff for the audience is huge. He surprises by digging into darker territory than his film career has previously allowed.

It is Kieran Culkin however, who almost walks away with the show. He is a master at delivering Lonergan’s dialogue with remarkable specificity. The stage is electric when he’s present, and his actions always make it clear that whoever comes through the door is entering into his domain. He can dart about with wild abandon after a toke of a joint, and the next minute fall into a laser focused rage. And he isn’t afraid to let the audience laugh in discomfort at his outrageous moments. The performance is all the more impressive given how cruel and morally loose Dennis can be. Culkin imbues this bully of a man-child with an inner fragility, which comes crashing to the surface in a beautiful act two monologue. I hope to see much more of him on Broadway in the future.

Fashion blogger turned actress Tavi Gevinson does her best as Jessica, though the part doesn’t offer her as much to play with as her male co-stars.  What she does quite well is create compelling layers to a character that could be otherwise one-note and whiny. Unfortunately though, Jessica’s penchant for arguments has Gevinson relying on yelling a bit too often.

At times, you may feel like you have seen this play before in a more contemporary setting.  As a byproduct of the play’s initial success, Lonergan’s format has been copied by numerous playwrights. But, what these copycat plays don’t have is Anna D. Shapiro orchestrating explosive fireworks and humor through a talented young cast, and that makes this production well worth a visit.

This is Our Youth
Cort Theatre.
148 West 48th Street, Manhattan.
By: Kenneth Lonergan
Directed By: Anna D. Shapiro
Starring: Michael Cera, Kieran Culkin, and Tavi Gevinson
Run Time: 2 Hours and 25 minutes, with one intermission