Review
A New Television Arrives, Finally
Shelter Studios/Studio 54
Sept 8, 2007

How many times have we talked back or cursed at the television as if it were another person? How many times has it been left on as the comforting "white noise" of an imaginary roommate? What would happen if this "roommate" came to life and followed you into the next room with you? It's this premise that Kevin Mandel uses to initiate his satiric, serio-comedic play A New Television Arrives, Finally.

While waiting for his television to be delivered, the Man (no names are given the characters; a telling note) hanging out in his underwear seems lethargic and somewhat sickly. The door bell rings and Man is accosted by an upbeat, very colorful (a shocking red suit with a ultra-blue shirt and sunglasses; a costume coup by Rebecca Lustig) man. Taking him to be the delivery man, a comic exchange occurs until it is established that he is, in actuality, the 'new' television (with his costume and braggadocio, one is reminded of the NBC peacock). Television as he wants to be known proceeds to expound/comment on such topics as commerce, politics, sex and other assorted subject matter as found on evening viewing; he even does his own channel surfing. He sits on the swiveling console stand (home of the former T.V.) and zooms around the room. Man is bedazzled but somewhat intimidated as Television spouts bromides such as "Love is the Answer!" and "Live in the Moment!" to him.
Woman storms in after a grueling day at her office and starts letting off steam before she notices Television. She too is captivated yet restrained as Television continues his rant on the 'unbearable being of existence'. Yet as Man and Woman slowly start to let their defenses down and warm up to Television's banal pronouncements, he aggressively turns on them to become a more sinister, threatening presence. He launches into attack mode on his spinning table top until Man is forced to defend his domain. The situation becomes "Reality T.V." on steroids.

The influence of the great absurdist playwright Eugene Ionesco is quite apparent throughout the play. There are echoes of The Bald Soprano in Man and Woman's interaction (especially in a fumbled sex scene), The Chairs (the power of the inanimate) and even Rhinoceros (the malevolence of the majority viewpoint). Thankfully, it is not so obtrusive as to feel derivative. The power of the piece is ultimately in the hands of the actor who plays the character of Television. The role is alternated between two actors; Tom Pelphrey and Victor Villar-Hauser. I saw the show on an evening with Mr. Pelphery and he is sensational. His charismatic good looks and showboating bravado are exactly what the part calls for. More importantly, he is able to embody the seductive and corrosiveness of television (small t) with the ease of Satan in the Garden of Evil. Unfortunately, Bryan Fenkart as Man and Kate Russell as Woman are not as engaging as Pelphery; true, they are written to be somewhat bland every-people yet because they are not as dynamic as Pelphery they shift the play's emphasis unfairly on Television. Consequently, the show looses stream when Television is not on stage. Nor do we believe them yearning for the glib new age rebirth that Television has led them to feel is theirs for the asking. Mandel's end for the play is a little treacly; again Pelphery steals the moment looking for a pair of lost cufflinks. Director Kevin Kittle keeps the action fluid and for the most part keeps the focus on the fact that (to quote Television in one of his more inspired moments), "Disappointment and loneliness is just human nature in repose". Surprisingly, in our current world of Oprah-ized sound-bites, A New Television Arrives, Finally is really not as absurdist as Mr. Mandel may have imagined.
 

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