It seems of late that we’ve been getting quite a renaissance in family dramas, andhas been the quite the mastermind in terms of pumping these specific stories out. After their recent successes with “Appropriate” and “Mother Play,” and it’ll likely happen again with their upcoming “Purpose,” it’s seems highly agreeable that their most recent offering shows there’s no signs of stopping.
Leslye Headland’s “Cult Of Love” seems to put the drama back in family drama as much as it puts the Christ back in Christmas, and it’s an absolute feast for the eyes from start to end. You can’t help but feel the enormous wave of personal relevance that permeates this play, so much so that final result by the end of the night is a strangely rewarding catharsis.
While yes this play starts out slow in its exposition, and does seem to go the long way in terms of holiday caroling, Headland has gone ahead and created what has to be some of the most riveting character relations and dynamics I’ve seen on any Broadway stage of late. What could very much be seen as cliche in this theatrical trope, Headland finds a way or two to spin them on their heads and pump fresh new life into these character archetypes. From the overbearing mother, to the golden child, to the outcasted child, to the aging father, to the suffering in-laws, there is something new and profound to be individually discovered within this meticulous analysis of the everyday family. Watching each of these characters and how they interact with one another is like watching a blender mix its contents, only someone forgot to put the lid on (beautiful, BEAUTIFUL mess). And if wasn’t for Trip Cullman at the helm of this play, I don’t think any of these relationships and interactions could’ve reached their highest potential.
The ensemble has been wisely chosen and each performer truly brings it, along with their own unique talents, to each and every one of their performances, with the two biggest standouts coming from the ever-graceful Mare Winningham and the brooding Zachary Quinto. You’ll love them, you’ll hate them, you’ll feel everything in between for them, and if you are, then this ensemble has truly done its job in making you feel for a family that may just as well be similar to yours or mine in some way, shape, or form.
Even the design elements of this one are the most authentic things I’ve seen in quite a while, and as much as were made to suspend our disbelief in certain theatrical elements, there was no need to for this one; you could feel as if you were truly in the home, a part of this familial gathering (but also the Hayes is the smallest venue on Broadway, so the intimacy of that space might’ve lent to this feeling). But whatever it is, you almost feel as if you’re a part of the family itself.
Families are like cults of their own; if we’re not born into them, they’re a ride to live and be raised in, and when wanting to leave those bonds are very tough to break. It’s an emotional cycle that “Cult Of Love” does a fine job at portraying with its bitingly dark humor and its heart on its sleeve, scars and all. Who could ask for a better family portrait?
