Just because a story is familiar doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it. So while there’s very little that’s fresh in “Appropriate,” the show’s still a fun ride.
Hailed as a vibrant new voice after shows such as “An Octoroon,” Branden Jacobs-Jenkins turns to a genre classic — the explosive family reunion.
Even better: the explosive Southern family reunion. Because few things are more dramatic than genteel people feuding about their complicated past while cicadas buzz in the background. Exhibit A: “August: Osage County.”
While “August” takes place in a fine Oklahoma home, “Appropriate” is set in a decrepit Arkansas house. Not only is it falling apart, but it’s packed with so much junk — kudos to set director Clint Ramos — that it looks as if it were occupied by a psycho hoarder.
This comes as a shock to siblings Toni (Johanna Day), Bo (Michael Laurence) and Franz (Patch Darragh), who have arrived to clean and sell their late father’s estate so they can settle his debts.
The spark that sets tempers flaring is the discovery of an album of terrifying photos. We don’t see them, only the reactions of those looking, but apparently Dad collected vintage pictures of dead black people.
Under Liesl Tommy’s energetic direction, everything is amped up for gleeful maximum effect. This is the kind of show where a character making an ominous discovery exclaims “Oh my God,” followed by a dramatic blackout.
The first fight explodes when Rachael (Maddie Corman), Bo’s Jewish wife, accuses the departed of “being in possession of latent anti-Semitic traits.”
An angry Toni — nobody bad-mouths Daddy! — asks her to be more specific.
“Anti-Semitic traits like having a problem with Jews,” Rachael shoots back.
Things go, well, south from there. Jealousy, envy and old resentments heat up and there’s even a balls-out, hair-pulling brawl.
Some key questions emerge from the chaos: Is redemption possible? Should you let sleeping dogs lie in order to move on?
Subtle this is not, but Jacobs-Jenkins pushes all the buttons very efficiently, and the cast is a pleasure to watch. Day is especially sharp delivering Toni’s combo of volatile defensiveness and judgmental wit.
“Appropriate” proves that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel — you just have to make sure it turns smoothly.