Lenny

Lenny is definitely one of the most volatile characters I have ever had the opportunity to play. He can be extremely abrasive and then--two seconds later--be almost sweet; his mood swings are very abrupt. Lenny definitely needs some hard-core therapy. It makes me wonder: Is his family in denial that he has a psychiatric problem? Could they not afford treatment? Did they figure they would just hand over the parenting to June when the time came for it? Did they ever expect him to be independent? There's no doubt in my mind that Lenny suffers from severe depression and has little self-esteem. He becomes extremely defensive when criticized often accuses others of thinking he's worthless. (I think he's bipolar.)

And, how does this show remind me of "The Jerry Springer Show" episode that I went to see? I explained myself a little bit at the "Marisol" table talk, but I see a lot of xenophobia in this play directed toward the lower class (not xenophobia from the playwright, but from the other characters within the play). I get the sense that the characters are afraid of the lower class (i.e., the homeless). The real fear sets in when the revolt starts and everybody loses her or his own identity and everybody is brought down to the same level. It's scary to think that beneath it all, we may be the same as the feared homeless person we pass on the street. When we lose everything and have to start from scratch, we all feel equally lost. This xenophobia is the same thing that fuels the popularity of shows like "Jerry Springer." This is a show where we can lightheartedly watch to reinforce the fact that we are "above" the lower class. We can laugh that they are dancing around like trained monkeys. It's a symptom of a sick society that I think is one of the many things that "Marisol" is trying to warn us about. That show is attempting to build up a wall that this show is attempting to tear down.