The Lehman Trilogy at NC Stage Co.
An extraordinary feat of theater, NC Stage Co.’s production of Stefano Massini’s The Lehman Trilogy surely ranks up with the most impressive undertakings by a local cast and crew.
Composed of three 50-minute acts, it’s the live equivalent of Martin Scorsese’s 3.5-hour The Irishman and Killers of the Flower Moon — albeit with not one, but two intermissions, making it far less of an endurance test than those films, yet similarly rewarding for bold patrons of the arts.
The rise and fall of Lehman Brothers is a thoroughly American saga, but like the true nature of the United States — and, appropriately, that of the titular immigrant family — The Lehman Trilogy is a melting pot of international efforts. Its path to the stage involved an Italian playwright seeking answers from the U.S.-sourced 2008 global recession, who in turn wrote an epic literary work for the stage about three Bavarian Jewish brothers who became the epitome of American capitalistic pursuits. Performed in France, Germany, Spain, and Italy with anywhere from 4-12 actors, the material has thus far been translated into 24 languages, including in English by Mirella Cheeseman.
British playwright Ben Power then adapted the material to its current, more approachable stage version, chopping two hours from Massini’s original work in conjunction with award-winning stage and screen director Sam Mendes, who jointly developed much of the look and feel that permeates the NC Stage production. But despite nods to the sophistication of the play’s acclaimed London and Broadway editions, this is distinctly NC Stage’s The Lehman Trilogy and has the fingerprints of artistic director Charlie Flynn-McIver and his talented collaborators all over it.
From the show’s intentionally overwhelming introduction, it’s clear we’re in good hands — and ones capable of tackling this ambitious show. As the backing wall of TV screens blare news reports of the 2008 financial crisis and Lehman Brothers’ collapse, the work of Michael Amico (scenic design), CJ Barnwell (visual media), Erin Bell (lighting), and Bailey Gafeney (sound) meshes to dizzying, chaotic ends under Flynn-McIver’s direction. These screens remain a steady presence throughout the production, transporting theatergoers from New York City to antebellum Montgomery, Ala., and back again with stunning visual variety.
Strong as these technical elements are, it’s the performances by the cast of three that truly define and elevate The Lehman Trilogy. Spitting Mamet-esque, rapid-fire dialogue, the actors have the added challenge of playing multiple roles (and sexes) and serving as omniscient narrators — and they pass the show’s verbal baton to one another across monologues and interactions with awe-inspiring aplomb.
This is easily the best and most diverse turn I’ve seen from Willie Repoley (who primarily plays Henry Lehman, his nephew Philip, and Philip’s daughter-in-law, Ruth Rumsey), leapfrogging his superb work as David Frost in NC Stage’s 2018 production of Frost/Nixon. He’s complemented by his All is Calm castmate Adam Kampouris — who brings a crackle of energy to Mayer Lehman and his great nephew Bobby — and Philip Kershaw, who confidently embodies the stoicism of Emanuel Lehman and his nephew Herbert, then palpably has a blast with the swagger and saltiness of innovative Lehman Brothers partner Lew Glucksman.
Power’s adaptation saddles each cast member with a staggering amount of dialogue to catalog and recall, and each actor understandably experienced some stumbles on opening night. However, they recovered each time like the pros they are, and absolutely nailed the show’s handful of bravado sequences — particularly the two anchored by Kampouris: a second-act Dating Game scenario in which the calculating Philip chooses a suitable wife (each fantastically embodied in quick succession by Kampouris), and a climactic third-act stretch where the three actors metaphorically dance in order to stay active/alive as finance grows significantly more speculative and dangerous.
By then, The Lehman Trilogy has been constantly moving in increasingly energetic fashion, each act more engaging than the one before it — separated by those brief, welcome intermissions that serve as necessary breaths for cast, crew, audience, and material alike.
Invigorated by the power of great theater, attendees leave NC Stage not thinking that the Lehmans were necessarily bad people, but that they undoubtedly directly contributed to some of the most awful events in U.S. history, profiting greatly while people suffered — until their empire got so large and messy that its legacy ran out of escape routes. That absence of a didactic takeaway from Massini, Power, or Flynn-McIver only solidifies the work’s magnificence, and the discussions and critical thinking it inspires may prove to be its true legacy.
The Lehman Trilogy runs through Sunday, April 6, at NC Stage Co. For details and tickets, visit ncstage.org.
(Photo courtesy of NC Stage Co.)
