With no more than a few wooden boxes covering the stage, one costume change and one man depicting every character, "A Night in November" relies on the talent of the actor and the strength of playwright Marie Jones.
The play, which is currently running at Alleyway Theatre, stars Jack Hunter as the protagonist, Kenneth McCallister.
Hunter is a veteran of the Buffalo theatre scene. He has also appeared in off- Broadway productions, in addition to teaching theater at Buffalo State College.
His experience and talent are exemplified by his ability to captivate the audience for two hours with no props and no supporting actors: just one compelling narrator.
Characters like McCallister's wife and boss are each portrayed through variations of intonation in Hunter's voice and body language. By changing his pose and his voice, Hunter charms the audience into believing that he has become one of numerous characters.
"A Night in November" chronicles the internal struggle of McCallister and the social struggles in Ireland between the northern Protestants and the southern Catholics during the 1990s.
In November of 1993, the two groups met on the soccer field in a match that ended in a draw and the advancement of the republic's team to the world cup in New York.
In the play, McCallister is a middle class, white-collar Protestant who attends the game and initially partakes in the sideline bigotry. However, during the course of the game he has a revelation about his deep-rooted hatred. Here, the main action of the play is set in motion.
After the life changing experience at the soccer match, McCallister begins to question different aspects of his life. He starts to see through his wife and the cookie cutter life that they have together.
The house is kept like a museum and the grass is not for walking on, it is for show. Image is everything and Kenneth's acceptance into a golf club seems to be one of the best things to ever happen according to his wife.
As he is questioning nearly every aspect of his life, he spends some time with his Catholic boss and makes a somewhat rash decision to gather up money and buy a plane ticket to the world cup game in New York.
From the drunken rivalry of the game in New York to the satire of middle class life, "A Night in November" provides as many laughs as it does serious statements about hatred and personal struggle.
On opening night, Hunter received three curtain calls and a standing ovation from the audience at the Alleyway.
"A Night in November" offers a slightly outrageous yet heartwarming story, and a truly remarkable performance from Hunter in this one-man show.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
