Now that The Bent has brought Matthew Lopez’s The Inheritance, Part Two to the stage, you may ask: Do I need to have seen Part One?
Part Two begins with an elegantly dressed Terry Ray taking the stage to review for you exactly what happened in Part One, so you needn’t fear being left behind. That said, it’s a shame if you missed The Bent’s production in the spring—because it was amazing.
Part One covered a lot of years and dealt with the AIDS crisis, which is such a painful part of our history. Part Two starts in 2017, and at one point in this play, a young person is flatly asked if he knows about the AIDS crisis, and he hesitantly replies, “A bit …” These words astonish those of us who lived through it and lost so many during that time. I remember realizing that I was losing a friend every week.
Among the large, almost all-male cast, Henry Wilcox (Brian Newkirk) stands out by wearing a black suit. (Frankly, he stands out for many reasons, including his quiet. pervasive dignity and his perfect diction.) He has been invited to a party at which the guests blather about “faux art” and other light topics. But a difference in political stances soon emerges, and Henry finds himself calmly defending his Republican views. A difference of ideas emerges.
The following scenes jump around, as we follow multiple stories and the progression of various characters’ paths. Thomas Dodge Wheatley plays Toby Darling, who has written a play that is about to open on Broadway—supposedly about his life, although he struggles with the reality of the matter. (As one character later opines, “The truth doesn’t sell tickets.”)
The ensemble cast includes Mikey Ragusa, James Anthony Blanco, Ronny Borrelli, Kai Brothers, Willie Mullins and Alex Price. Terry Ray re-emerges, playing Morgan and Walter, while Travis Creston Detwiler plays Henry’s son, Charles. It’s a lot, and most of the actors play more than one role—but because of Steven Rosenbaum’s brilliant direction, we can actually keep track of all the characters.
With an all-male cast in Part One, one would assume that the same would be true in Part Two, but Danielle Kennedy enters in Act 3 as Margaret Avery, an astonishingly strong character; she nearly steals the show with her lengthy monologue.
There are many topics dealt with along the way. Responsibility is one question raised—for whom ARE we responsible? Another has to do with the education of young gay individuals who desperately need role models, and yet another question deals with someone finding out that they have HIV now, even with the current availability of a preventive drug like PrEP. The historic role of the Stonewall Inn is mentioned, with its picture nostalgically shown on the back wall. Two of the characters even decide to get married—but I won’t sacrifice the suspense by naming them. You have to see the play to watch it all happen.
The real star of the play is the house, located in unspecified countryside near New York. It was a place of solace and healing for those afflicted with AIDS, lovingly shown in a gigantic image projected on the back wall. It is not the only picture used to expand the theater in this way—throughout, different settings are portrayed, including, for example, a beautiful beach with a full moon. This house is the actual inheritance named in the title, currently deserted after seeing a couple hundred people live and pass away there.
I have to include a warning for those who might be offended by language, drug use or graphic sex. However, the lessons and the value of Matthew Lopez’s work far outweigh any shock value.
In Rosenbaum’s masterful hands, this show will take your breath away. (It’s worth noting he just won a Desert Theatre League award for his direction of Part One.) Not just because of the surprise ending—which we never saw coming, an indication of the powerful writing—but because seemingly every second in this play is thought out and carefully planned. It is an experience for the audience to be in the hands of such a capable director, whose familiarity with every tiny detail of the play is evident in every element, from cleverly fanning out the actors to use the whole stage, to the shrewd and thorough character development. (Toby’s agent is a wonderful example.) The theater was completely hushed—indicating the deep involvement of everybody in the audience. It is a rare experience to be in the hands of such a spellbinding professional.
This play left me with a profound sense of gratitude at being alive. I drove home deeply moved by what I had just experienced, and extremely aware of all my surroundings in our beautiful desert.
The Inheritance, Part Two is a must-see—whether or not you saw Part One!
The Bent’s production of The Inheritance, Part Two will be performed at 7 p.m., Thursday through Saturday; and 2 p.m., Sunday, through Saturday, Nov. 2, at the Palm Springs Cultural Center, 2300 E. Baristo Road, in Palm Springs. There is also a show at 2 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 25. Tickets are $42. For tickets or more information, visit thebent.org.
