There are three opportunities left to catch the latest NAC production, Enron. Rearrange your schedule, change your plans if you can and don’t miss it. Take a step back in time to the late 1990s when Bill Clinton was president, when Michael Jackson and Madonna ruled the charts and Enron was the darling of the stock market.
Experience what it was like to be at the centre of the company and the ensuing saga that ultimately resulted in one of the most spectacular cases of corporate fraud in history. Follow the rise of the company and the along with it the egos and greed of its executives. Get an inside glimpse at the players involved, such Ken Lay, Jeffrey Skilling, Claudia Roe and Andrew Fastow and see how the lies, deceit, scheming, human error and delusions of grandeur quickly took over and ultimately destroyed the company and the lives of its employees along with it.
The content of the play is fascinating and the actual production superb. The set, the music, the way everything is presented was bang on for the 90s and captured the mood of optimism and “irrational exuberance” that reigned in the run-up to 9/11.
The characters displayed a repulsive unwillingness to take responsibility for their actions. And yet, in the case of Jeffrey Skilling, (who went from major geek to executive chic) there was a surprising undercurrent of humanity in his vile behaviour. As much as you despise his antics, he, unlike his partner in crime, Andrew Fastow, has a softer side, albeit a warped one. And his monologue at the end is absolutely brilliant. It will blow you away.
In terms of acting, without exception, the cast is outstanding, some of the actors taking on various roles and transitioning into those roles with ease. Dmitry Chepovetsky is exceptional and completely spellbinding as Skilling. Eric Davis is deliciously repugnant as Fastow and Petrina Bromley’s Claudia Roe is magnificent. Joey Tremblay’s Ken Lay feels entirely realistic as he portrays a rich, affable, socially and politically well-connected executive with a fatal flaw: his intentional disconnect from knowing what his executives were up to.
As for the rest of the cast, they were amazing as they moved from portraying floor traders to journalists to company employees, lawyers and investment specialists. The list of role transitions is long and yet they pull it off without a hitch. It is absolutely fabulous to watch.
You just have to see this play and hurry because it runs only until March 1. www.nac.ca