“The Salvagers” at Yale Repertory Theatre by Zander Opper

“The Salvagers”

Yale Repertory Theatre

Yale Repertory Theatre is currently presenting the world premiere play, “The Salvagers,” in an excellent production.  The play, by Harrison David Rivers, is an enormously effective and volatile domestic drama exploring parent and child relations.  If it is not completely successful, it certainly holds one attention throughout and it will be interesting to see if this show will have a life beyond its production at Yale Repertory Theatre.  The direction by Mikael Burke is remarkably assured and the five member cast is faultless.  And, if the playwright doesn’t have all the answers, he certainly brings up a number of intriguing questions.  Ranging from boisterous humor to utter tragedy, “The Salvagers,” at Yale Repertory Theatre, some flaws to one side, ultimately works extremely well and is certainly worth a look.

At the center of the play is the emotionally up-and-down relationship between father and son, both named Boseman Salvage, with one being the Junior and the other the Senior.  Taylor A. Blackman, as Boseman Salvage Junior, gives an emotionally intense performance, which is matched by Julian Elijah Martinez, as his father.  In the “The Salvagers,” it is revealed that, at the time of his son’s birth, the father was only fourteen, so the two are very close in age and their individual temperaments cause the two to fight frequently.  Also in their lives is Junior’s mother, Nedra Salvage, portrayed by the strong Toni Martin, whose role in the show’s plot is shrouded in mystery.  Filling out the cast are the fine McKenzie Chinn and Mikayla LaShae Bartholomew, as the would-be romantic interests of Boseman Salvage Senior and Junior, respectively.

On the atmospheric and versatile set, well designed by B. Entsminger, the show takes place in Chicago, spanning the Fall and the following Spring.  Without giving too much away, the plot of “The Salvagers” can sometimes feel overloaded and it is punctuated by a number of emotionally devastating scenes, in which secrets are gradually revealed.  Still, the director wisely keeps the show moving at a good pace during the play’s two hour running time, without an intermission, so the “The Salvagers” never seems overlong, and there are definitely lighter moments mixed in with the intense scenes.  Indeed, one wants to know even more about this group of characters and what will happen to them when the play comes to an end.  The playwright has an extremely good ear for dialogue and “The Salvagers” feels truthful, with the explosive father-son relationship being completely honest and believable.

Taylor A. Blackman is quite wonderful as the son and, though his character is simmering with anger, this actor keeps his performance very balanced.  Helping with this are his scenes with Mikayla LaShae Bartholomew, as his coworker and eventual girlfriend Paulina, who brings a great deal of humor to the part and one can’t help rooting for the two of them to get and stay together.  Likewise, McKenzie Chinn, as Elinor, provides the love interest for Boseman Salvage Senior, which ultimately causes even more tension in the household.  Chinn is enormously sympathetic in her role and she is a good match for Julian Elijah Martinez, who is simply excellent as the father.  Still, it must be noted that perhaps the most intriguing character onstage is Toni Martin, Junior’s mother, Nedra.  Martin truly scores in this part and she provides the unspoken backstory which rocks the Boseman family.

The director also works very well with his design team.  The costumes, designed by Risa Ando are completely appropriate and help to shape each of the character’s individual personalities.  The lighting design by Nic Vincent works wonders in setting the mood of the show, and Vincent’s work is only enhanced by the remarkable projection design by John Horzen.  For a world premiere play, “The Salvagers” exudes a great deal of confidence and it is certainly a solid show.  One could quibble with a few of the scenes and events in the play, though some of this may be worked out by playwright and director in future productions.  And one does wish for a future for “The Salvagers.”  Still, this show is recommended to see now at Yale Repertory Theatre to catch a truly interesting new play whose effect lingers long after the show has ended.

“The Salvagers” runs through December 16, 2023, at Yale Repertory Theatre, 1120 Chapel St., New Haven CT. For tickets and information, please call 203-432-1234 or visit yalerep.org.  

Photo: Julian Elijah Martinez and Taylor A. Blackman

Photo by Joan Marcus