For those of us who remember the Clinton Years in the White House, there was always a question lingering in the back of many people’s mind. That question was all about what made the Ultimate American Political Power Couple tick. Why did he cheat on her so blatantly and why did she stay?
Well, there is still no definitive answer, but Lucas Hnath’s fascinating play, “Hillary and Clinton” gives a fascinating peek into what may have happened behind closed doors when it was just the two of them alone together. Of course, much of this is conjecture, so Hnath wisely set the play in a parallel universe, where someone name Bill Clinton had been twice elected president and now his wife is trying to win the same job. Sounds familiar, no? But since the play is set in that other universe, who’s to say whether the same conversations and events happened here, out of earshot of anyone else except our two protagonists.
The play is set in a hotel room (minimalistic yet fully convincing as designed by Jimmy Cuomo) the day before and then the day after the New Hampshire primary in 2008. Hillary (Andi Matheny) is running against Barack Obama (Napoleon Tavale) and not too successfully, as of yet. She calls Bill (Brent Schindele) and asks him to join her in New Hampshire, which he promptly does. Her campaign manager Mark (Craig Wroe) and Hillary have differing ideas as to how to turn things around and beat Barack, especially when it has to do with Bill. After Hillary scores a surprise victory, Obama makes her an offer: drop out of the race and he will choose her to be his Vice-Presidential candidate. I won’t say anymore as anything past this point would be a major spoiler. But what I will say is that it is fascinating watching the interactions, first of Bill and Hillary and then with Mark followed by Obama.
All four performances under Craig Wells’ superb direction are superb. Tavale’s Obama shows his inner strength and ability to navigate the continually changing political landscape with ease, Wroe, on the other hand, imbues Mark with a fiery spirit and is quick to show his anger and frustration when Hillary does not agree with his battle plans. But it’s Matheny and Schindele who create the solid backbone of the play. Without doing true impersonations, these two wonderful actors flawlessly capture the essence of the title characters. Schindele’s Bill Clinton is as slick and personable as you remember the president to be. Matheny gives Hillary a drive that makes you wonder whether this universe’s Hillary could ever lose any battle she sets out to win. But she also shows the complexity of her relationship with Bill. She is at once both angry at what he has done and how much shame she has had to publicly endure while clearly still loving him if not quite in love with him. Matheny’s performance will happily stay with me for a long time to come.
“Hillary and Clinton” is produced by the consistently professional and thought-provoking Dezart Performs and runs through November 24, 2024. For tickets or further information, visit their website at www.dezartperforms.org. Don’t let this show sell out before you see it, it’s that good!
All photo credits: Clark Dugger