In “The Believers”, Chris Connor (Taylor Anthony Miller) begins a long day at the campaign office. (Image Credit: The Storm Theatre Company)
(This post originally appeared on October 28, 2014.)
“How far will you go to achieve what you want?” “How long will you hold up when the outside world pushes back?” These questions, frequently decided by the strength of a person’s beliefs, form the basis of The Believers, the debut play of playwright and New York Law School alum Robert Carroll.
The Believers tells the story of Chris Connor, a young campaign manager who has spent two years running a dark-horse reform-minded candidate’s race for the New York City Council district around Park Slope, Brooklyn. Beginning the night before Election Day, Chris (played by Taylor Anthony Miller) finds the campaign on the receiving end of smear attacks and dirty tricks from its opponent. The play follows Chris through Election Day morning, where he must manage campaign staffers and volunteers, including a young and eager intern (Christopher Bellant) while trying to convince his deputy George (Joe Danbusky) and a Teamster union organizer Ted (Ted McGuinness) to allow Chris to retaliate with a dirty trick of his own. But before the day is over, an unexpected event changes everything, and Chris’ beliefs are tested in ways he never imagined.
As a playwright, Robert Carroll’s life of political experiences shines in moments large and small throughout the production, fully capturing the spirit of a political campaign. Audience members that have worked on a local campaign in New York City cannot watch this play without nodding and smiling at the accurate depictions of all the characters, the backdrop of a storefront field office decorated with maps covered in Post-It notes, desks littered with pizza and boxes and coffee cups, and the richly detailed dialogue. The intimate theater allows the audience to feel as if they are in the office with the characters, calling up the urge to make a few phone calls or knock on some doors.
Kate (Laura Bozzone), Chris, and George (Joe Danbusky) have to make decisions as the day goes on. (Image Credit: The Storm Theatre Company)
A memorable scene is when Chris and George are sending John, the enthusiastic volunteer, off to distribute campaign flyers at a polling site the morning of Election Day. John (Patrick Melville) is thrilled to be a part of the great democratic process, and praises – at length – the clean campaign Chris has run and democracy in general, sounding like a Frank Capra poster come to life. All the while, Chris and George are smiling and nodding, carefully working to nudge the enthusiastic John out the door without alienating the free help.
Even if you have never been around a campaign, or even if you are not very political, this is a must-watch play for all audiences, though be prepared for some strong language. The fast pace of the dialogue, the superb acting by the full ensemble cast that also includes Laura Bozzone, the constant activity from multiple directions, and decisions made in half a heartbeat all combine to show the pressure of a campaign’s final hours and draw in the audience regardless of any political experience. A major plot change in the later acts, that concerns heavy subject matter, is relatable to all.
The Storm Theatre’s production of Robert Carroll’s The Believers, directed by Stephen Logan Day, runs through November 1st at Morningside Heights’ Theater of the Church of Notre Dame. Final performances are this Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Don’t miss a chance to see this great production. We can only hope that this play is given a new life following this weekends close date, and that the full cast return to reprise these great roles. Tickets for the final shows can be purchased here.
By: Brian Kaszuba, CityLand Editor and Michael Twomey, CityLand Fellow.