6th @ Penn Theater is known for bringing audiences new and challenging plays, well scripted, directed, and performed. The current Sunday-through-Wednesday offering, Brothers All, penned by Howard Rubenstein and directed by Barry Bosworth, does not come close to the degree of excellence one expects from this small theater.
Rubenstein's script, with a run time of over two and a half hours, is as dense, in many ways, as Dostoevsky's "The Brothers Karamazov," on which it was based. Both deal with a dysfunctional family of four boys (three legitimate of two wives, one bastard) with a father incapable of an understandable love of his sons.
The first act, which runs a laborious 90 minutes, attempts to set up the plot with several sub-plots (thankfully fewer than the book) through a series of mini-scenes interspersed with standard-length scenes. We find that the father (Barry Bosworth) is a bipolar, iconoclastic uncompromising man, fortunately murdered midway through the play. Bosworth takes this character way over-the-top, giving him no redeeming qualities.
The legitimate sons have their own problems. Douglas (Jonathan Wilcox), recently released from the Army Officer Corps, is still sloppily wearing his uniform sans rank identification; he sports a short beard and long hair. Fortunately, his manner is usually quiet. Alex (Jude Evans) is the angry brother. Evans, who can easily exhibit his emotions through his face and manner, insists on shouting his lines, an incessant assault upon our ears. Ian (Jesse Keller) is a tyro priest about to leave the order. His original piety is replaced with a diatribe against the Catholic church, bringing in a new theme to this convoluted play. Finally, representing father Karleton's randy relationship, is Melvin (Tony Misiano), a quiet boy raised by Gregory (Hal Conley), a functionary of Karleton, and his wife Martha (Jude Morgan).
Ryan Schulze, who playes five roles, is absolutely perfect as Visitor. Donal Pugh, with two roles, has very good moments as Dr. Hart. Terrence J. Burke's performance as the prosecutor in Act II is well done, while his Cardinal in Act I is okay.
Stephen Rowe has dramatic moments in Act I as Friar Christopher, one of his two roles. Chris Hastings also has two parts. Laura Ingram and Andrea Tobar, talents wasted, play love interests.
Mitchell Simkovsky's lighting design is well planned and effective, even though the execution is flawed, possibly due to opening-night jitters. The costumes appear to be off-the-rack, just not the right fit for most of the cast.
Brothers All is a major disappointment, especially for a playwright with two previous successes.
