From left: Geraldo Rodriguez plays Roy, John Keating is the Citizen, Tom O’Keefe is the Hostage, and David Molina is Teddy in Barbara Hammond’s Terra Firma.
Despite the title, Barbara Hammond’s futuristic drama Terra Firma is ironically on shaky ground. Having its world premiere at Baruch Performing Arts College, the play is set on an abandoned offshore platform of a country that experience a “Big War” some 50 years earlier. There, three characters have forsaken the mainland and commandeered the site. Sporadically there are explosions in the distance—the conflict is apparently not over, or is it?
Roy (Gerardo Rodriguez), the de facto King, and Jones (John Keating), the Citizen, are startled when a fisherman climbs onto the platform. They assume he is an enemy spy and take him hostage. The Hostage (Tom O’Keefe) claims not to be a spy, but they bind his hands and feet regardless. They hear the Queen (Andrus Nichols) coming up from below, and for an unknown reason decide to hide the hostage from her. The Queen appears, obsessed with writing a constitution for three people.
Keating and Tom O’Keefe are two of a handful of refugees on the offshore platform . Photographs by Ashley Garrett.
Hammond’s play takes on more and more plot elements—issues of war, the destruction of nature and habitat, attempts at writing a constitution, expectations of perceived royalty, long-lost children, and an overarching theme of the madness of living surrounded by the sea. It is top-heavy, and the multiple strands never allow for complete exploration or development necessary for any chance of completion.
Under the direction of Shana Cooper, the cast does an admirable job with a rambling and ambitious script. Although the three main characters are survivors of the war, they have different accents, which is one of several issues that leave the audience with the question “Where did that come from?” and further causes the performance to be feel disjointed.
From the ongoing explosions, it’s unclear whether the platform is being attacked, and if so, by whom. Given the volatility around the world, the premise is believable, but if Terra Firma is meant to be poignant, it never hits the mark. Hammond is further caught up exploring the distrust of others while the King and Queen exhibit their angst for their long-lost son and, occasionally, their daughter. The author tries to bring some levity and relevance to the experience through a reference to a cat, which is heard from time to time, or when the Queen, finally meeting the Hostage, states, “I’d implore you to have a bath. Jones will show you. You just spritz yourself with this—and it has a hint of lavender.” If that’s the extent of a bath, how long can a two-inch vial of lavender last?
There are other holes in the plot: the first person to come aboard is feared to be the enemy, tied up, and taken hostage. The second newcomer to this tiny sovereign nation, however, climbs onto the platform and is greeted rather warmly, which leads to the two being pitted against each other.
T. Ryder Smith plays the Diplomat.
O’Keefe as the Hostage, keen and smart, has a physically demanding role, and the fight scene between him and the Diplomat, played by T. Ryder Smith, is well done. Smith, who exhibits an air of good breeding, struts across the stage with bravado, yet often stumbles giving the impression that he has been at sea far longer than he admits. Daniel Molina brings a sense of incredulity to the character of the son, Teddy as he attempts to figure out why the Hostage is bound and forced into cramped quarters below.
Jane Shaw’s sound design provides the overwhelming feelings associated with the random explosions happening on land. Alongside Shaw’s well-conceived sound design, a highlight of the production is Andrew Boyce’s set. The offshore platform, with a giant wraparound seascape which is vast and chilling, is complete with slamming trap doors and riveted iron stairs. Unfortunately, the majority of the lighting design does little to bring clarity to the play. Often too dark, Eric Southern’s design never evokes the harsh reality that would be evident by the sun and its constant reflection off the sea. The fireworks display, which comes out of nowhere but is treated by the author like another evening in the park, is colorful; however, the overall lighting missed the mark. By failing to consider the sun’s movement throughout the day and completely ignoring moonlight, the two aspects of time that would be relevant to the characters, are completely void.
Terra Firma, originally commissioned by the Royal Court Theatre in London, is an ambitious play and, in some respects, a necessary play, appropriate to the time in which we live. Although this production struggles with incomplete story lines, its assets are its set design, good direction, and well-chosen actors.
Terra Firma plays at Baruch Performing Arts College (55 Lexington Ave.), through Nov. 10. Evening performances are at 7 p.m. and matinees are at 2 p.m. Tickets and performance dates are on sale at thecoopnyc.org.
