Tracy Letts' Steppenwolf/Broadway play, Superior Donuts, has been given a strong production at the Geffen. Director Randall Arney and the playwright share some history, Letts having appeared in the former's Chicago premiere of Steve Martin's Picasso at the Lapin Agile, playing the role of the bartender. Letts turned to playwriting after that, with great success (Bug, Man From Nebraska, August: Osage County). Superior Donuts looks at the relationship between Arthur (Gary Cole), the depressed, pot-smoking proprietor of a sleazy Chicago donut shop, and Franco (Edi Gathegi), a 21-year-old African-American live wire who not only goes to work for Arthur but tries to light a flame under him. It's optimism vs. pessimism here; energy vs. lethargy. Franco keeps needling Arthur and keeps giving him pep talks, but it isn't until the youngster reveals that he's just finished a novel that Arthur comes out of his funk. He not only reads Franco's book but is deeply moved by it, even inspired by it. He manages to shed some of his guilt at having fled to Canada to evade the Viet Nam war and starts taking pleasure in life again. He does his best to find Franco a publisher--and to get interested in the lady cop (Mary Beth Fisher) who's got eyes for him.
It's here that the plot of Superior Donuts takes a less-than-credible turn having to do with a huge gambling debt which Franco has incurred. Letts would have us believe that a neighborhood bookie, Luther (Paul Dillon) would let a street kid run up a $20,000 tab. It just doesn't happen in life. But this is theater, not life of course, and so we must try and accept all that follows: the bookie and his hood (Matt McTighe) becoming the play's antagonists; Franco paying a terrible price for his sins; Arthur brawling with Luther (in a memorable stage fight); and so on.
Superior Donuts morphs from drama to melodrama, but that didn't keep me from enjoying it. The play has heart and humor, and it also says important things about the fight of the underdogs to stand up to life. It is also skillfully acted -- Cole is impressive; Gathegi's charismatic performance is a thing of beauty -- and John Arnone's set and Arney's direction deserve high praise as well.
