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April 3, 2013
Andrew Calise Freeman
April 8, 2013
Thibodaux Playhouse will have a common situation bring out blatant realities in Yasmina Reza’s Tony Award winning dramatic comedy, “God of Carnage.”
“God of Carnage” is about two sets of Brooklyn parents who meet to discuss the consequences of a playground altercation between their 11-year-old sons in a civilized, adult manner. Alan and Annette’s son has hit Michael and Veronica’s son with a stick, knocking out two of his teeth. The evening devolves into a childish discussion between parents mixed with rum, chaos and poor manners, illustrating the question of how people can expect children to act like adults, even when adults continue to act like children.
Director Doug DeGirolamo says “God of Carnage” allows the audience to have a love-hate relationship with the characters because of the play’s realness.
“This is probably one of my favorite plays,” DeGirolamo says. “It’s people at their best and at their worst.”
DeGirolamo says the discussion between the parents regarding their children is an uncomfortable situation that everyone can relate to.
“As it sort of gets on, they themselves start to realize that they’re sort of like children,” DeGirolamo says. “The things that they’re fighting about for their children, they’re still fighting for today in their own lives. It’s something that I think everyone can relate to and I really hope audiences will like it.”
Roger Hernandez, who plays the husband of the hosting couple, Michael, agrees that the characters are easy to find similarities with.
“Michael is a pretty likable character to me,” Hernandez says. “He reminds me of a lot of people I have grown up with and worked with. Actually, I have a little bit of Michael in myself.”
Michael is hoping that the situation will blow over and ultimately be settled peacefully.
Tami RocheLedet, who plays Michael’s wife, Veronica, says although the situations are awkward and the characters are often rude, “God of Carnage” is still extremely relatable because of its real-life situation.
“There are things to dislike about every character and yet, things that are very much like ourselves,” RocheLedet says. “I think that the play itself naturally brings out the emotions within us. It’s a good show to bring out some of those heavy emotions, but everybody can relate to it.”
RocheLedet’s character Veronica is the seemingly most kind of the parents, hoping that they can simply come to an agreement about how Alan and Annette’s son can make amends for his attack on her son. Her voice of rationality breaks down as she realizes her views do not match up with the other couple, or sometimes even her husband.
Damon Stentz, who plays Alan, says his similarities with Alan help him to understand his character’s thought processes.
“Alan and I share something in common because we’re both lawyers,” Stentz says. “It’s like I have a glimpse into his mind. He is a different type of lawyer than me though. He’s a bit of a shark and the stereotypical lawyer you just don’t want to know. I enjoy that I get to play him and pretend, but be nicer in real life.”
Alan is attached to his cell phone for much of the play, which only adds to his wife’s discomfort.
Leslie Cheramie, who plays Alan’s wife, Annette, says the situations are uncomfortable but funny because it is nice to see some parallel between the audience’s lives and the stage.
“From the first time I read the play, I found it very amusing and I think that anybody who is a parent of a boy around the age of 11 can appreciate the situation that these parents are experiencing in this play,” Cheramie says. “I have a son who is almost 11 and I’ve had situations that can relate to what goes on in this play and the emotions that the parents feel. I think that’s what makes this show relevant and I’m enjoying it.”
Annette rounds out the group with dwindling confidence.
Throughout this play, that seems much more like one big argument, the characters drink, laugh, yell, throw things and leap on top of the furniture and each other. The women and men gang up on each other, the couples butt head-to-head and the partners even switch sides. The politeness of the beginning snowballs into a train wreck to show how the little things can ultimately be the biggest deal.
“God of Carnage” plays from April 5-14 at the Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center Theatre, 314 St. Mary St., Thibodaux. Tickets cost $15 for adults, $10 for students. For more information, call (985) 486-1896 or www.thibodauxplayhouse.com.
Veronica (Tami RocheLedet), her husband Michael (Roger Hernandez) and Annette (Leslie Cheramie) and her husband Alan (Damon Stentz) show signs of wear as their gathering to discuss a conflict between their children in the Thibodaux Playhouse’s “God of Carnage.”
