'Oblivion' Strikes Familial Chord

Oblivion, a new play by Carly Mensch now at the Westport Country Playhouse, deals with those we chose to believe in and rely on. It is a family play and it is so much more. In Oblivion, Pam (Johanna Day) and Dixon (Reg Rogers) have to re-evaluate their own beliefs and relationships when they discover that their daughter Julie (Katie Broad) has a secret. After seeing a play so focused on family relationships, it seemed appropriate that for this blog, co-written by a mother and daughter, to give both a mother a child’s perspective on the performance:

Anna, 20, college student:

Oblivion took some time to warm up. At first it seemed stilted and striving, but within a few scenes, it found its voice. And what a voice it is. All of Oblivion’s characters are searching for meaning in some way, but Julie in particular has a desperation as well as an awkward mix of confidence and uncertainty that will ring true to every young audience member trying to figure themselves out. Her relationship with her parents, too, and the way that she struggled to connect to them as effortlessly as she once had, offers authentic and relatable moments.

Yet Oblivion was so well-executed I found myself relating not only to the young characters but also the parents. Playwright Carly Mensch promises in her program notes that “each character has at least one moment of pure lovability...and one moment of repulsion” and she makes good on her word, providing dynamic and nuanced characters.

Ms. Day and Mr. Rogers show off their experience by bringing their characters’ complexities to life with skill and sensitivity. For her part, Ms. Broad adeptly portrays the confusion and contradictions of being a teenager stumbling through life. Aidan Kunze, who plays Julie’s film-fanatic friend Bernard, brings a fresh charm and comic relief beyond his sixteen years. The scenic design by Neil Patel was atmospheric and versatile, making the play a fun visual experience.

Oblivion is by no means a perfect play. At times, especially at the beginning of the play, the scenes failed to engage the audience and the transitions were often awkward. But while it fails to be fully polished, it makes up for it by being a truly beautiful play with on point acting and direction. Oblivion will make you laugh, feel, think and maybe even re-evaluate some of your choices. This play will resonate with every viewer and is not to be missed.

Karen, A Mom:

The play starts out with a parent arguing with a child. Parents, can you relate yet? After all, one of the first words a toddler says is “No!” And, it's off to the races from there.

In Oblivion, Pam, the super smart, sophisticated and successful mom is tenaciously attempting to get her 16-year old daughter Julie to reveal the truth about where she spent the weekend. Julia says she was taking a campus tour of Wesleyan, Pam's alma mater, but Pam knows this isn't the case. Exactly where Julie was—and, as importantly why she was there—and how these two super cool, seemingly easy-going, modern parents handle this truth is at the heart of Oblivion.

I loved the play. As the parent of four children, ages 23, 20, 16 and 10, I've been had these arguments. Hundreds of times. I have said some of the exact words Pam says during the play. I also understand the unconditional love she has for her child and, at the same time, the enormous feeling of responsibility to provide strong values before teens launch into today's challenging world.

Also like Pam, I know what it's like to have my deep-seated beliefs challenged by strong-minded, independent thinkers I managed to raise. Playwright Carly Mensch has done an exemplary job in candidly exploring weighty topics such as bigotry, sexuality, adolescence, recreational drug use and so much more. And, she does so with more than a modicum of wit, charm and entertaining word-play. Oblivion is filled with laugh-aloud moments balanced with poignant 'ah-ha' moments of clarity by all of the respective characters. It's a coming of age tale for both the teens and the adults.

The four actors were authentic, engaging and spot-on from start to finish. Kudos to the young performers – Aidan Kunze and Katie Broad—who held their own playing against Tony Award-nominated veteran actors, Johanna Day and Reg Rogers.