Toni Press-Coffman had a compelling idea:
Write a play that examines moral culpability.
"Armor," which received its world premiere from Winding Road Theater Ensemble last weekend, is about a family headed by a father, Gene, who turns a blind eye to shady dealings of the government military commission on which he serves. His precocious teenage daughter has a hard time reconciling the good-hearted father with his silence on the commission.
A subject - most any subject, really - can hit much harder when the delivery is subtle.
There's not much that's subtle about Press-Coffman's "Armor."
There's little subtext, shading or complexity in her script.
And the moral-culpability issue becomes a sledgehammer she uses relentlessly.
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Press-Coffman is certainly earnest in her attempt to raise questions about a real-life incident: The government's approval of one bulletproof vest over another, while the one that was rejected was proved to be safer. Money seemed to be the motivator in the incident.
But the script goes into long, technical explanations that don't push the story forward.
Gene often steps into a spotlight and offers up a monologue, supposedly snippets of his testimony to Congress.
"I'd like to start by saying that my support for the United States Army's current tank armor program does not preclude my support for the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected program," he says at one such testimony.
"I support MRAP 100 percent. However, it has become clear that these new vehicles can't be produced quickly or inexpensively enough to ship them to the field in the numbers needed."
It goes on, adding little to move the plot - or the interest level - forward.
And while "Armor" had some rich characters - the teenage daughter and her schoolmate had a sense of awkward innocence about them - it also had characters who were artless.
Glen Coffman (the playwright's husband) didn't infuse Gene with any charm. He was, frankly, boring. It's tough to figure out what his musically inclined and feisty wife, Alice (Lesley Abrams), was doing with this guy.
Oddly, Press-Coffman has the daughter and mother roll their eyes every time he begins to discuss his work. If they're bored with the subject, why wouldn't the audience be?
Abrams was strong, but hers was not the most understandable character - she seems to swing from disliking her husband immensely to caring about him deeply.
This play is really about the daughter, Cynthia, who can't decide between a career as a musician or as a scientist, and can't decide whether her father is culpable because he sits on a commission that makes questionable decisions.
Lucille Petty did fine, but it's a difficult role full of the self-righteousness and goofiness and discoveries that an 18-year-old has - an actress with more experience might have been able to bring a depth and intrigue to the role that was missing.
Emilio Zweig as Jeremy, the piano student with a crush on Cynthia, cut just the right picture of shy awkwardness. Christopher Johnson, normally a strong actor with solid instincts, wasn't able to bring much distinction to the role of Anton, a young man who shows up on the family's doorstep to thank Gene for his work on tank armor, which has saved lives in combat.
Kristi Loera's character, Mary Lou, provides the counterpoint to the more liberal Alice, but she's a doofus with a fierce "my country, right or wrong" mind-set. Ya gotta wonder how she ever strikes up a friendship with Alice.
Eva Zorrilla Tessler directed without building drama or mood.
It's exciting to have new plays staged - even when they don't work. Press-Coffman has a big talent and important things to say. And "Armor" has a strong premise. The execution, however, needs some work.
Review
"Armor"
• Presented by: Winding Road Theater Ensemble.
• Playwright: Toni Press-Coffman.
• Director: Eva Zorrilla Tessler.
• When: 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 3 p.m. Sundays, through Sept. 19.
• Where: Zuzi Theater, 738 N. Fifth Ave.
• Tickets: $18, with discounts available.
• Reservations, information: www.windingroadtheater.org or 401-3626.
• Running time: About two hours, including intermission.
Contact Kathleen Allen at kallen@azstarnet.com or 573-4128.
