And So We Come Forth
At the beginning of this quarantine, I lamented the fact that, while theatre was quick to proliferate in Zoom format, we had yet to embrace all that Zoom offered us. Richard Nelson’s Apple Family plays changed all of that for me. It all started with WHAT DO WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT? in May. I was curious. All caps title. It must be important. Plus, I had heard of Richard Nelson’s Apple family plays for a while. I was reluctant to go see them because it seemed, from the outside, to have some Arthur Miller-esque qualities. You know what I’m talking about, theatre people? That (WHITE) family that seems relatively normal from the outside eye, but then as you hear them converse around the dinner table, you immediately begin to notice something more sinister underneath? Yeah…we should have a copyright on those, they’ve been done so so so much.
So why do I even bother with the Apple plays? And it seems, with a title like WHAT DO WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT?, that this play would slowly descend into the realm of Arthur Miller as well. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but it DOES work. It IS something I have truly never seen before. And the format of the play is likely key here.
And So We Come Forth, like WHAT DO WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT?, takes place during a family zoom call. The Apple’s are having dinner just as they normally do, but this time, they are in quarantine. It’s just a zoom gathering! How simple! How has this not been done before!!!? If I could re-write my undergrad thesis (which, by the way, I turned in A DAY before seeing this production), I would incorporate WHAT DO WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT? into this new form of “viral theatre” that kept popping up at the time. It would be my one example of viral theatre that doesn’t try hard at or apologize for just. being.
I think that a lot of us in the theatre community, but really all of us during this time, are constantly feeling inadequate. We feel that whatever we do isn’t enough. We lose all sense of purpose. We find ourselves grappling with the point of this hyper-productive capitalist society if, in the end, we’re left with nothing if not for our work. All of these emotions, just like the actual virus, spread. And so, the Apple family is a breath of fresh air. This is a family that certainly has its flaws. They are familiar flaws. They are apparent- not hidden or shameful. And yet, they are able to enjoy each other’s company, tell stories, laugh together, cry together, tease each other, comfort each other.
And yes, they are a white, upper-middle class family in upstate New York that tends to make mountains out of mole hills, but somehow, this is incredibly relatable. Maybe not for everyone, but certainly for me. It reminds me of the countless northeastern dinner tables I have sat around for the past few years. And, just like I was at those dinners, I’m a fly on the wall in the Apple family dinners as well. There isn’t really a plot to these dinners. Richard Nelson just soaks up what is actually going on, and he lets current events inform the conversation. Very true to real life. Almost a documentary, if these weren’t fictional characters. The family just sits around the dinner table and tells stories as if they had all the time in the world. And they really do. If they didn’t have it before (and I bet they still had plenty), then they certainly do now. I think what these plays offer, most importantly, is a representation of really good listening. Well, maybe not a representation since these are REALLY good actors who are REALLY listening to each other. But no matter what kind of family you come from- no matter what “family” means to you- it shows simply being. Apart and together.
And So We Come Forth streams right here right now.
