Hillary and Clinton
by Lucas Hnath
Directed by Tim Naegelin
West End Players Guild
February 10, 2022
Deborah Dennert, Kurt Knoedelseder
Photo by John Lamb
West End Players Guild
Hillary Clinton seems to elicit strong opinions from all sides of the political spectrum. She’s run for President twice, in addition to previously having been First Lady to a two-term President. In Hillary and Clinton, West End Players Guild’s latest production, playwright Lucas Hnath focuses on his own imaginations surrounding Hillary, Bill Clinton, and the dynamics of complicated relationships, political aspirations, and public perception. It’s a bit of a fantasy exercise grounded in a kernel of reality, and as staged at WEPG, the engaging cast makes it intriguing, thought-provoking, and most of all, funny.
The play, narrated by Hillary (Deborah Dennert), presents itself as an “alternate universe” take on events in the lives of the Clintons, centered on the New Hampshire Primary during the 2008 Presidential campaign, as Hillary campaigns for the Democratic nomination. The “fantasy” format allows playwright Hnath to explore ideas and concepts using these characters and situations without having to hew too closely to the facts of history, as well as allowing him to explore “behind the scenes” goings-on. There are several conflicts that arise, as Hillary’s chief pollster/campaign strategist Mark (Tyson Cole) tries to keep the focus on Hillary’s record and not her public image, while also trying to minimize the influence of her larger-than-life husband, former President Bill (Kurt Knoedelseder). The dynamics between these two–Hillary and Bill–are the main focus of the story, as their different approaches to politics, life, and commitment to one another all come into play. There’s also a memorable appearance from Hillary’s main rival for the nomination, Barack (Jonathan Garland), who proves to have a few surprises of his own in store. For the most part, this is a character and relationship study, with a mostly comic tone, although there are some serious issues raised in terms of how men are treated as candidates vs. women, the importance of style vs. substance in the public mind, and more.
Another result of the fantasy aspect of this play is the decision not to pay too much attention to physical resemblance and mannerisms when portraying these characters. While Dennert is styled to bear a passing resemblance to Hillary, there is no effort to make Knoedelseder resemble the real Bill Clinton, either in physical appearance or voice, and all the actors have some leeway in terms of their portrayals. It’s not a caricature like a Saturday Night Live sketch, either, although there is a great deal of humor here, and lots of laughter from the audience. Here we see the characters as people, but also as “types”, in a sense, and the portrayals are excellent across the board, with Dennert leading the way in reflective, determined turn as Hillary. She and Knoedelseder as an initially affable, casually manipulative Bill have strong chemistry, driving the action of the play as well as its humor and more thoughtful moments. There’s excellent support from Cole as the increasingly exasperated Mark, as well as Garland in a small but memorable role as an especially clever, ambitious Barack.
The technical aspects of the play work set the mood well, from director Tim Naegelin’s efficient set, to Jacob Winslow’s excellent lighting, to costume coordinator Tracey Newcomb’s well-chosen outfits for the cast. It’s the cast that really makes this show, especially, with strong timing and energy. This Hillary and Clinton as characters may or may not be what you expected, but what is clear is at WEPG is that this is a show that’s likely to provoke much thought and discussion.
Tyson Cole, Deborah Dennert, Kurt Knoedelseder
Photo by John Lamb
West End Players Guild
West End Players Guild is presenting Hillary and Clinton at Union Avenue Christian Church until February 20, 2022
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