Theatre Review: Seared Sizzles With Humor And Egos
Walking out of Seared, I learned two things. Cooking scallops is an art, and no artist is Indispensable. The new, Off-Broadway show, playing until December 15 at the MCC Theater, felt like the heartbeat of cancel culture; with Raul Esparza charmingly playing a genius chef/ complete jerk named Harry.
From the beginning, Theresa Rebeck’s witty writing boils with piping hot snark and intelligence, which is why you kind of like Harry. He is unbelievably smart and know hows to turn any conversation into one about anti-establishments and how, in an odd way, he is a victim to a world that corrupts art and its artists. Money rules everything. He is not ….wrong, but he is hypocritical. Esparza’s is a tour-de-force as Harry; completely captivating audiences with the ego and mania of this character. There is no balance or shame within him, and his talent allows that to be “okay,” at least, for awhile.
From Woody Allen to Kanye West, there are certain pop culture figures that can’t seem to fade because creative genius is treated as indispensable: understandably so. How can people that make you feel good, think bigger, and aim higher sink into low-level behaviors or, in other words, act like asses? With these men in mind, Harry embodies how genius and talent become the armor of egos that do not have the heart or compassionate mind to be human beings and, better yet, good ones. All he has to do is make a stellar pork rib or a sublime wild salmon and, with bellies full, minds forget.
For all that he viciously fights with David Mason’s Mike, who clearly needs a hug and an all-inclusive vacation, Harry always keeps the power in the room. Yet, he, genuinely, think it is because he is right. He moves righteously in his rambles, which is why Mason makes Mike so beautifully exhausted. Sure, Esparza’s Harry may make you like him, at first, but by the end of Act 1; a nap is long overdue. He drains the people around him, which is why Krysta Rodriguez’s Emily and W. Tré Davis’ Rodney keep a perfect balance of light-hearted to this show. While Mike and Harry, literally, yell at each other while asparagus sizzles, of which you can hear and smell the cooking, these two roll in with quick jokes, bright positivity, and eagerness to keep the restaurant going; something Harry seems eager NOT to do.
Rodriguez is hilarious as Emily; balancing a firm strength with and infectious wonder for the world of food. She is ready to take Harry to new heights, but he seems obsessed with isolating himself, which is why Tre’s Rodney becomes so important. Through the latter character, Director Moritz Von Stuelpnagel is able to frame that pure hearts can achieve more that pure talents. His character shatters Harry’s notion of being necessary, especially because Rodney is kind and efficient. Through Harry and Rodney’s dynamic, Stuelpnagel talent can only mask cruelty and unaccountability for so long. Add on Tim Mackabee’s perfect set of a restaurant kitchen, and Seared feels like a very real, accessible look into the heated world of restaurants, and how hard it is to survive in that world: with or without talent. To Buy Tickets for Seared Click Here.
