Sitting through the opening scene I’m Gonna Pray For You So Hard would be difficult for any critic, a father waiting on an opening night review of his daughters play launches into an onslaught of insults against the profession. The character, David, has had plenty of experience as a Pulitzer and Tony winning playwright, and now he has similarly high expectations of his daughter.
But she, Ella, isn’t the lead in an off-Broadway hit and that’s a sore point for David. In fact everything seems to be a sore point for him. He recounts long rambling stories of his past; from his father kicking him out as teenager, to missing out on an Oscar, all told through a haze of smoke, alcohol and drugs.
Ella hangs on every word, agreeing at every turn. Desperate to please this man, she is a daddy’s girl at an uncomfortable level. It’s difficult to understand why because he is cruel and unforgiving, he manipulates and tortures her emotionally, and, of course, that’s what makes Halley Feiffer’s I’m Gonna Pray For You So Hard so deliciously compelling.
David tells his daughter to “man up” and the audience is desperate to the point of irritation for the same. But the performance from Jill Winternitz is spot on, she cowers when he scolds her and stands proud when he shows her the slightest affection, her face is vividly expressive and carries the audience along on her journey.
Adrian Lukis, as David, gives a gritty performance, pulling out all the bitterness he can muster, and by the end of the first act, he has exposed the character for the monster it is. Yet, in the short second act he is able to extract a fair degree of sympathy from the audience.
In that second act, the trendy apartment becomes a stage set in a black box theatre. A sudden switch from warm and homely, to harsh strip lights drives the message home effectively, a testament to Anna Reid’s set design and Jack Weir’s lighting. It’s 5 years later and the tables have turned, Ella has found success but is now a carbon copy of her father; just as destructive and just as cruel. There’s an argument that David has contributed to Ella’s success by treating her so badly.
In David’s world the view of the critic might not mean very much, but in my humble opinion I’m Gonna Pray For You So Hard, directed by Jake Smith, delivers on all fronts; solid performances, a fascinating story and admirable staging.
