Appropriate on Broadway

A couple of weeks ago, as an early birthday present from my friend David, I went to see the Tony-nominated play Appropriate by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, starring Sarah Paulson, during the final weeks of its run. 

I was seated so high up in the gods that parts of the stage were cut off, but any seat is worth it for such an incredible play. 

The premise of Appropriate is as follows:

When the patriarch of a family dies, his adult children must come together to go through his belongings for an estate sale and, in doing so, come across items that hint at his racist past. The family must then decide what they believe about him and reconcile the father that they loved with the man that they never knew. 

It is a very warm and fuzzy play.

The idea of race looms large in this story, despite it coming from an all-white cast. It reminded me of The Thanksgiving Play in that respect. It is very apropos to our current discourse, in which everyone is subject to reappraisal and scrutiny, even when they were a product of their time. 

The father is the main character, despite never appearing in the play. It is an impressive sleight of hand from Jenkins who wrote a play that crackled with wit and verve.

There are plenty of funny moments to inject some levity into an otherwise deadly-serious play and there were more than a few audible gasps from the audience.

Appropriate is a many-layered play. Annoying, unlikeable characters are proven right when it comes to the character’s racism and characters who are proven wrong about it aren’t always annoying or unlikeable. 

Sarah Paulson was incredible, making her voice hoarse to convey how run-ragged her character has become, while delivering monologues that most stage actors only dream of.

The ending was perfectly cinematic and unless you’ve seen it, you won’t know what I’m talking about. 

Following the show, I did the same move that I always do and made a pit stop at Jollibee. Like all sane people, I avoid Times Square like the plague and only venture in that direction when going to see a Broadway show. I always think to myself, if I’m already in Times Square, I might as well go to the Jollibee for dinner, the only thing I like about Times Square.

Regardless of what your Broadway show-ritual is, you should go and see Appropriate the next time it’s on Broadway and judge for yourself.

The Tragic Queen,

Raquel