Buffalo Theatre Ensemble’s “Native Gardens,” with Bryan Burke, Richard Gomez and Sofia Tew/Photo: Rex Howard Photography
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Feuding neighbors have been a staple of storytelling for some time (Hatfields and McCoys, for example). After decades of use in plays, movies and television sitcoms, is this common conflict worn out? Not for playwright Karen Zacarías and her “Native Gardens,” directed by Steve Scott and presented by Buffalo Theatre Ensemble through March 2 at McAninch Arts Center. A young, progressive Latino couple moves into a house next to older, conservative neighbors and, despite their differences, they get along fine—until a review of property lines unearths a mistake that brings harmony to an end. Then, it’s Colonizers vs. SJWs!
The audience meets the characters as they meet each other—the older couple, Frank (Bryan Burke) and Virginia (Kelli Walker), are empty nesters, and Frank has spent a decade perfecting his green thumb with hopes of winning the gardening competition that weekend. The younger couple, Pablo (Richard Gomez) and Tania (Sofia Tew), plan to build a new fence to impress Pablo’s boss during an impromptu company party that weekend at their house. But a surveyor informs Pablo and Tania that their property extends into Frank’s garden right where the fence will be. Is the young couple justified in literally uprooting Frank’s most cherished possession, or should Frank and Virginia be grateful for enjoying a decade of free property? Things turn sour as a battle over legal and moral rights ensues.
Buffalo Theatre Ensemble’s “Native Gardens,” with Bryan Burke, Kelli Walker, Richard Gomez and Sofia Tew/Photo: Rex Howard Photography
There’s a reason this story, although very simple, finds continual resurgence: The actors. Yes, Zacarías’ script is delightful, and it plumbs the contemporary zeitgeist, with snide jokes about Republicans and Democrats, the fence as a metaphor for border security and immigrants’ rights, and references to other hot topics of the epoch; but it’s the actors’ performances that make this production endearing. Burke chews up every scene, and his melodramatic, twitchy quirks make him the driving force behind the play’s comedic moments. Walker plays the perfect foil to Burke’s antics, as when Virginia translates Frank’s emotional outbursts into biting ethical arguments. Gomez as Pablo is logical and sophisticated, and his accent makes his “lawyer voice” even more persuasive. Tew’s effervescent portrayal of Tania complements the character’s avid eco-friendliness as she annoys Frank by planting a “native garden” that invites weeds and bugs to the neighborhood; Tew even gets the best line in the show when Pablo suggests they send his large, industrial law firm after the elderly couple—“Are we… The Man?” The cast is small but mighty, and each actor brings a unique charm to the work.
At only ninety minutes, the show packs in a lot. Two backyards are lavishly brought to life by scenic designer Mara Ishihara Zinky. Christopher Kriz returns to BTE to provide original music and sound design. Baby boomers and millennials will delight and stew in response to political jibes, and the climax features a frenetic physical fight between the couples that had the audience rolling on the floor laughing. “Native Gardens” updates a tried-and-true formula with a cast that exudes chemistry—and that’s something everyone can agree on.
“Native Gardens” is presented by Buffalo Theatre Ensemble through March 2 at McAninch Arts Center, 425 Fawell Boulevard, Glen Ellyn. Showtimes are Thursdays-Saturdays at 7:30pm; Sundays at 3pm. Tickets are $44, available at atthemac.org or by calling (630)942-4000.
