Review: 'God of Carnage' Explores Dark Tensions Amongst Wealthy New Yorkers

As a story, "God of Carnage" doesn't go anywhere special, but it sure is entertaining while you're watching it.

Yasmina Reza's dark comedy is about two upper class couples meeting to discuss an altercation between their children in a park. Originally written in French in 2008, the play was later translated into English by Christopher Hampton. It won Tony Awards for Best Play and Best Director when it played on Broadway in 2009.

Alan (David Crossley) and Annette (Joyce Leven) visit the posh apartment of Veronica (Eve Kerrigan) and Michael (Joel Sugarman, making his debut with The Players). The reason for their visit is that Alan and Annette's son, Benjamin, struck Veronica and Michael's son, Henry, with a stick.

The interaction is cordial at first, but soon goes awry after a nervous Annette vomits all over the coffee table, ruining Veronica's history books. Michael frantically tries to save the damp books by using a hair dryer.

The pompous, chauvinistic Alan is a lawyer for a pharmaceutical company who spends a lot of time on his cell phone. Veronica is a self-righteous "defender of civilization," while Michael boasts about being a "Neanderthal."

The underlying friction between the couples surfaces: Michael resents Veronica's holier-than-thou attitude and preoccupation with saving the planet, while she is repulsed by his callousness and macho cynicism.

Things dissolve to the point that Annette and Veronica mock Michael for throwing out his son's hamster, while Annette blows up at Alan for being on his cell phone so much. And so on.

This was a well-produced production with four actors all doing an excellent job bringing their characters to life under Jeff Sullivan's fast-paced direction.

Crossley ("The Shadow Box") and Sugarman get a lot of laughs from their characters' idiocy and lack of self-awareness. One priceless exchange had Michael, who sells household items, explains the types of toilet fittings.

Kerrigan, also a newcomer to The Players, effectively conveys Veronica's brittle insecurities as they come to the surface. At one point, her tense relationship with Michael nearly explodes into violence.

Leven, a veteran of several comedies at Arctic Playhouse, is in top form as the vain and arrogant Annette. She seems to be holding a sense of contempt for Alan.

"God of Carnage" wants audiences to spend 80 minutes with some very unpleasant people. Reza doesn't provide any keen insights about human nature, other than "people can be jerks." There's no real message at the end of the show, nor any sense that these characters have learned from their abhorrent behavior.

Do parents pass on their harmful personality quirks to their children? Are adults really that much more mature than teenage boys? And most importantly, is it human nature to resort to violence to solve conflicts?

Reza came up with an interesting concept, but never digs below the surface to explain what motivates Alan, Annette, Veronica, and Michael to act the way they do. As a comedy, "God of Carnage" provides plenty of amusement, but falls short of greatness.

"God of Carnage" runs through February 4. The Players at Barker Playhouse. 400 Benefit St., Providence, RI. For tickets, call 401-273-0590 or visit www.playersri.org.