Reckoning with history: "The Minutes" at Wichita Community Theatre
A talented and well-prepared cast grounds the 2019 Tracy Letts play about a public meeting that goes off the rails. It’s on stage through Sunday.
Pop musicals and audience pleasers dominate Wichita stages, and opportunities to see well-made contemporary theater are fleeting. Last Friday, I arrived early to Wichita Community Theatre’s production of Tracy Letts’ “The Minutes.” Its well-regarded cast, I’d heard, had spent a significant amount of time in rehearsals. At the very least, I anticipated an interesting evening, and I wasn’t disappointed.
The play occurs over the duration of a town council meeting in Big Cherry, Colorado. What begins as a character-driven narrative plucking its way through a benign agenda eventually descends into dark mystery and hard-hitting social discourse. Though the mystery surrounding a missing council person is introduced early, the first half is mostly comedic. Letts establishes the characters through quick-witted dialogue and some fantastic jokes.
I’mtrying to be careful not to give too much away here. What unfolds along the way is surprising and sometimes jarring, but that’s what makes “The Minutes” a riveting evening of theater.
In the opening scene, we meet Mr. Peel (a captivating Jonny Kline), who missed the previous week’s meeting due to his mother’s death. He’s the newest member of the council and a “not from around here” outsider. Ms. Johnson, the recording clerk (an enthusiastic Ashley McCracken-Christy), is busy preparing for the meeting and shows little patience for the newcomer. The mayor, Mr. Superba (a deliberate Bryan Welsby), openly exerts his dominance through glowering and handshakes, but he also offers condolences and other niceties. The rest of the cast are similarly strong types. Many character names suggest their type, which is a fun trope reminiscent of Restoration comedy. We have medicated mess Ms. Matz (played broadly by Rachel Chinn), feeble and fumbling retiree Mr. Oldfield (Joe Parrish, in a deft performance), and Mr. Assalone (Heath Rochester), who credits the first three letters of his name with the subtlety of a sledgehammer.
These actors are a delight. Standout performances include Kline as well as Kenneth Mitchell as an impassioned Mr. Carp. Their steady deliveries and commitment to their objectives are captivating. The rest of the cast is solid, but each member has the steep task of playing a two-dimensional character, and they never quite feel fully realized. Throughout the course of the play, each character plays an important role in teasing out the bigger drama at hand. While the audience laughs at the recognizable characters and their antics, the plot windsup for a punch, leaving us metaphorically rubbing our jaws.
Director Quinn Warren also handled the scenery and sound design, both of which did exactly what they needed to do without getting in the way. The actors costumed themselves. Properties, designed by Jane Tanner, were thoughtful and went a long way in helping establish characters early in the play. I laughed out loud at some of the details, such as the intoxicated Ms. Matz’s large styrofoam cup and the full dinner snack devoured by Mr. Breeding, the carnal capitalist played by a syrupy Richard Macias. The attention to detail, even the mundane ones, elevated the storytelling from good to great. Overall, the performances coupled with the staging came together effectively, which made it possible to reflect on the themes of the play.
At its core, “The Minutes” is about history and how it paves the way to the future. Big Cherry’s well-known origin story involves white settlers and Native people. It’s retold in schools and churches and at the annual Heritage Festival. When the story is called into question, the reactions are both anxious and severe.
A strength of Wichita Community Theatre's production of "The Minutes" is its cast. From left: Bryan Welsby (Mayor Superba), Joe Parrish (Mr. Oldfield), Richard Macias (Mr. Breeding), Julie Williams (Ms. Innes), and Rachel Chinn (Ms. Matz). Courtesy photos by Dan Overholt
What works about this play is it could happen anywhere. Playwright Tracy Letts is from Tulsa, Oklahoma, where history shapes identity in dramatic ways. Here in Wichita, we have our own complications, from J.R. Mead to North High’s former mascot. With “The Minutes,” Letts dramatizes how new interpretations of history threaten traditional narratives. It’s timely and worthy subject matter, but it felt a little like attending church where the preacher lectures a group of like-minded individuals while they nod their heads in agreement. Though Letts tries to make the point that we are all complicit, the theatrics of the final moments obscure the impact of that message, and the audience leaves unscathed. (I overheard audience members leaving the theater who were amused by the characters’ similarities to people they know.) “The Minutes” is written by a white playwright, intended to help white audiences to grapple with our relationship with history. The complications and inconsistencies are evident, but like the land acknowledgement on page nine of the program, it’s a good start.
The play is funny and compelling but ultimately confounding. I’m not entirely sure I know what I witnessed, but I strongly recommend you make time to go see “The Minutes” at Wichita Community Theatre. It is a strong play presented by a talented cast who have committed a significant amount of time and energy to offer it to this community.
We don’t get this kind of material often enough in this town, so we need to support it when someone is brave enough to present it.
The Details
Wichita Community Theatre presents "The Minutes"
September 5-15 at Wichita Community Theatre, 258 N. Fountain St.
Performances are 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.
$18 for adults, $16 for students/seniors/military
For reservations call 316-686-1282. Learn more.
Leslie Coates is a theatre faculty member at Butler Community College and has acting and directing credits from San Diego to New England. He is a former board member for Forum Theatre Company where he also appeared in Christmas Letters, Pump Boys and Dinettes, and various Words and Music performances.
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