"Caught" at Shotgun Players

Shotgun Players photo by Pak Han

I've been pondering what to write about "Caught" by Christopher Chen ever since last week, when I saw the first preview, knowing that I should probably wait until the show had officially opened before really digging in. But there is also a distinct reluctance to write about it at all because...

Spoiler Alert

It's not clear to me that you can say anything meaningful about this play without giving away important information that will at some level, spoil some of the fun and value of the play. So, let me start out with a recommendation that if you are interested at all, just stop reading and go see it, then join the discussion afterward, because you will be thinking about things and want to talk about them.

In fairness, I will say that I refused to talk to anyone in my family about the substance of the play, except to provide some very cursory information about the broad subject matter, and they have now thanked me for that.

So, you're forewarned. Read on at your own risk.

The Play

I suppose it is fair to say this is a play about truth, or at least about what one perceives or believes to be true, and why. And it's also about art and artists and authority figures. And it's about questions.

And if you think that's vague, you ain't seen nothing yet! The show starts in an art gallery, or at least, an art exhibit, with a program and curation and all that. And a talk by the Chinese artist.

And as the artist talks, he gradually undercuts just about everything you think you know about art and artists and China. Get used to that: pretty much everything you think you understand in the play is going to get some kind of rug pulled out from under it.

Chen's writing is clever and precise, wandering into interesting corners just long enough for you to realize they aren't corners at all. At some level, no one you see is really what they seem to be. That sounds much easier to pull off than it is, but the cast does a terrific job of it (and this has improved greatly over the last week, so I'm glad I waited to write about it).

The Production

Turning the Ashby Stage into an art gallery is no mean feat, especially when it will also have to serve as office space and some other settings later in the show. And I can only imagine the machinations that will be involved when the show joins in the rest of Shotgun's repertory season later in the year! Suffice it to say that director Susannah Martin and the designers have done a terrific job of taking the space they have and turning it into the space they need. It's rather disorienting to those expecting to just come in and sit down, but that's a big part of the show, and those who know Shotgun know they should expect the unexpected by now.

I'm not going to say much more, other than to say the actors do some really good work with very difficult material. Maintaining the trust of an audience that is continually having its basis for trust eliminated is tough, but it works here.

All I will add is, stay to the end. I mean, until you're sure it's the end. It's worth it.

The Cocktail

I don't think I've previously mentioned the cocktails at the Ashby Stage concession window. For every show, they concoct a specialty drink, and for "Caught," it's called "The Trick." It's a little feat of alchemy that is worth trying for the novelty, at least--you will be surprised.