Generic Theater's 'Enron' is delightfully corrupt

Follow the money and you'll get at the truth.

But wait a minute! Following the money is not that easy in a society that has been turned upside down by one of the biggest recessions of modern times. Add to the mix that it was all inspired by greed, and you look for a villain. Add to the confusion when you realize the villains are all around us. One target is Enron, the company whose double-dealing actually resulted in jail sentences.

You'd hardly think it a subject for a rollicking evening of theater. Think again. Check out the Generic Theater's performances through Oct. 2 of "Enron." The London hit and Broadway flop has been turned into an imaginative outing that is as double-dealing as its subject.

Here they are, future jailbirds who hide their losses (at least until they get caught). Here is a young conniver who plays the dirty game adeptly. Here is a powerful, cold woman who makes many of her deals stretched on top of office desks. Here is a cast deftly mixed and rehearsed to perfection by director Matthew Friedman.

Technically, the show is by far the most intricate, and eye-boggling, in the long history of the Generic Theater. Images flash on all sides above the playing area that serves as a stage. Local newscasters, such as Cathy Lewis and Barbara Ciara, mouth breathless mock news reports that show how the stock is turning. They add credibility to an incredible situation.

The lighting runs up and down like a carnival game to depict the ups and downs of sales and deals.

The Generic opens its season with a challenging and risky venture that has been greeted with mixed reactions elsewhere. In London, they loved it so much you couldn't get a ticket for months. In New York, The New York Times bashed it as afflicted with as much smoke and mirrors as its subject. The Tony Award nominators ignored it except, surprisingly, for its music and lyrics. (It was nominated along with the musicals, even though it is not a musical, per se.)

Its detractors, who were perhaps looking for illumination on the puzzling scam, had a point. "Enron" does not actually say a lot. What it does say is simple, perhaps oversimplified, but folks who buy a ticket for either satire or entertainment won't complain. In fact, we are thankful for the easy ride.

Playwright Lucy Prebble created some beautifully written scenes, particularly when it comes to writing off the details of hedge funds and inside trading. Attempts to educate on that stuff are likely to be futile, especially in the course of a theater evening (even though the show runs almost three hours). Her work, however, is episodic, more a series of scenes than a cohesive play.

Prebble's play, after all is said and not said, is not much more incisive than the 1960s musical "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying," but it is nonetheless entertaining. The cast does a chorus of "Deep in the Heart of Texas" along with a square dance that is clearly meant to be more a version of the Texas sidestep.

Kent Collins is both ruthless and boyish as Jeff Skilling, the wonder boy leader of Enron who, seemingly, turns a profit no matter the tactics. Ethan Marten is eerily conniving and sniveling as Andy Fastow, the rise-at-all-costs climber who, as pictured here, masterminds the hiding of losses. Marten is so convincing that you half expect him to take the stage twirling a dark moustache. Chris Kypros, known for his piano accompaniment of silent movies at the Naro Expanded Cinema, is both boisterous and naive as Ken Lay, the elder head of the company who seems oblivious to what his young whippersnappers are doing.

Deadliest of all is Jeannette Rainey as Claudia Roe, a dragon lady of high finance who pushes around the big boys and eventually falls victim to her own game. You can hardly believe she's the same nice person who usually introduces plays at the Generic.

They are backed by a cast of almost 20 - both live and on film. For the intimate Generic playing area, that's quite a horde.

Highest praise, however, should go to the technical crew because, quite amazingly, not one light or video cue is missed in a show that requires a few hundred. The videos were designed by Martin Walsh. The sparkling silver backdrop set is the creation of Daniel J. Hayes.

The box office take should be substantial, even if it is small change compared to the billions the Enron energy corporation owed when it went bankrupt in 2001. In the category of "You might as well laugh," this is entertainment, not education.

Mal Vincent, (757) 446-2347, mal.vincent@pilotonline.com