A tableau so close to perfection that its shattering is palpable even before it occurs. As the Dahl family comes together to celebrate Christmas, harmonies are hit just right and the extravagant Christmas spirit is evoked with a twinkle of lights that later takes on an oppressive glare.
"Cult of Love," a play by Leslye Headland first performed in 2018 and now being showcased on Broadway at Second Stage’s Hayes Theater, subverts a holiday-season trope. Each Dahl family member has secrets to reveal, but their coming together is not for any special or final Christmas. Pious matriarch Ginny (Mare Winningham), who raised her four children in a rigidly strict and buttoned-up household, compels them to perform the holiday rituals they've been enacting since childhood.
The engaging portrayal of this relatable concept serves as an anchor for the comedy of manners that ensues. Family issues - ranging from same-sex relationships, memory loss, personal crises, and addiction - form the crux of the plot.
Unfortunately, the narrative of "Cult of Love" relies heavily on two primary storytelling methods, neither of which maintain the pace built in the first hour of the performance. The extended group performance at the show’s midpoint after prodigal son Johnny’s arrival (Christopher Sears) fails to reveal anything substantially new. In a dimly conceived piece of staging, it leaves an outsider idly clapping while the Dahls perform. The long and arduous journey towards the end brings the audience to feel alienated.
However, great performances from Shailene Woodley and Christopher Sears, despite Quinto and Henderson's struggles with their parts, have the redeeming perspective. Woodley portrays Diana, a young pregnant mother struggling with a mental illness she refuses to accept, and Sears brings humor as the charismatic addict trying to cope.
The last conversations of the play presented by Quinto's character Mark, reveal the character's lifelong crisis of faith and provide a conclusive view into what it all means.
"Cult of Love" has its highs and lows. It challenges audience's expectations and offers tactical observations about family dynamics and the place of in-laws within. Some dialogues feel like easy applause lines, which could have been sharper. Nonetheless, it leaves the audience on a high note with its flawed beauty and its relatable family drama.
