As the saying goes, “the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.” But when an opportunity presents itself to be among the rich (or at least firmly cemented in the middle), do you stay in your current situation for moral reasons or do you leave for self-preservation?
These questions are explored in the new play “North of the Boulevard” now showing at the Phoenix Theatre.
“We like to say this is a blue-collar comedy about the tragedy of American life,” said Bryan Fonseca, founding producing director at the Phoenix Theatre.
In a time when the gulf between the “haves” and “have-nots” continues to grow, there is “North of the Boulevard,” a gritty comedy set in a decaying garage where three childhood friends and a bad-tempered old man struggle to make sense of their dead-end lives.
“This play deals with the blue-collar economic class where jobs are becoming scarce. The characters are part of the generation that thought they were going to work in the auto plant for the rest of their life,” said artist and actor Ben Rose.
Living on pipe dreams, Larry, Zee, Bear and Trip seek the opportunities across the boulevard. When a chance event gives them the opportunity to escape their crumbling neighborhood, the battle between morality versus prosperity comes to the forefront.
Fonseca’s personal experience was one reason he chose to bring “North of the Boulevard” to the Phoenix. Growing up, he enjoyed his life in Gary, Ind. He recalls various institutional landmarks being closed and boarded up by the mid-70s and how the massive closures devastated the area.
“I also liked this play as an artist who’s lived through bad times and one who understands that it seems to be that rich people live by different rules than the rest of us,” he added.
Rose said gentrification and race also play a role in “North of the Boulevard.”
“The neighborhood is diversifying. So you’ve got some clash between the people that remember the neighborhood being ‘nice’ and now you’ve got foreigners and Black people and all these different tensions going on,” said Rose.
Rose plays the role of Bear, a Black Republican.
“If John McCain and Chris Rock had a baby, it would be Bear,” laughed Rose. “He’s a strong thinker. But Bear can be hard on the Africans moving into the neighborhood but at the same time, he’s a ‘brotha’ so he supports Black people. I think the playwright uses his party affiliation to put forth ideas that would probably be much more uncomfortable coming from a white character.”
“North of the Boulevard” is said to make a statement and one that will make people think about what’s going on in the world around them and make a change. It’s also a contemporary piece that speaks directly to what’s going on in today’s society.
Despite all of the serious themes explored, people shouldn’t forget the play is a comedy.
“It’s funny. The guys are hard on each other, but they do it in a funny way. They joke and ‘jone’ on each other,” said Rose. “It’s a guy’s guy play too. It’s not a sing along musical. It’s tough language and imagery, but it’s a funny piece. People should come out and support it.”
