If laughing painfully and uncomfortably is one’s thing, they’re in for a treat with Marin Theatre’s The White Chip, a dark comedy about the destructive nature of alcohol addiction, now running in Mill Valley through Sept. 20.
This production, written by Sean Daniels (based on his own life) and directed by MT artistic director Lance Gardner (himself proudly sober for 20 years), isn’t as dramatic as one would expect it to be, but it hits hard and is evocative enough in its themes of loss and downfall that they’ll walk away feeling relieved, perhaps exhaling at what they’ve witnessed, both emotionally and artistically.
Artistically, because this is one of the more intricate, fast-paced productions I’ve seen, with the three-actor cast (Ben Clark as Steven, supported gamely by Lyndsey Kail and the indomitable Danny Scheie as various other characters) in constant motion, moving all over the gorgeously simple, yet dynamic and sophisticated Christopher Fitzer-designed set.
They are at once in an airport bar, an office building, in a taxi, and running around madcap in a hysterical Benny Hill-like sequence. They simply have got to be exhausted after a performance. It is truly a feat of character acting, and both Kail and Scheie were virtually flawless on opening night.
Ben Clark’s Steven begins drinking as a preteen and spirals from there in many horrifying ways, which Clark narrates with blunt honesty. It’s a solid piece of work.
One could hear members of the audience responding to these dark interludes, openly gasping or groaning in knowing, and it was apparent that this tale impacted many present. Because not only does Steven blow up his own life, his exploits drag others down with him—his sweet, poetry-writing father, his steady friend and his long-distance wife. Addiction, we know, reverberates through relationships, but Chip delivers those ripples here with a raw and inescapable shame.
Yet, this is also a very funny play. Its directness towards the ramifications of being consumed by a deadly illness are often portrayed through slick dialogue, comedic repetition and some excellent physical comedy. It’s necessary, and yet it doesn’t dampen the emotional impact of the story, anchored in the relationship between Steven and his sharp mother. Here we are able to find people to root for.
Despite the zany antics so common to the script, the human aspect of the story never gets muddled (sorry, couldn’t help myself).
‘The White Chip’ runs through Sept. 20 at Marin Theatre, 397 Miller Ave., Mill Valley. Various dates and times. $15–$94. 415.388.5208. marintheatre.org.
