Fatherland

Tweet

Fatherland is the true story of the jury trial of the United States vs. Guy Wesley Refitt, the first alleged January 6^th rioter at the Capitol to be tried, a court case which took place in Washington, D.C., from February 28 to March 8, 2022. The play is made up of “court evidence, public statements, and the official transcript” of the trial, making every word true. Conceived and directed by artistic director Stephen Sachs, The Fountain Theatre production from Los Angeles comes to New York with its original cast. What is special about the story is that the defendant was turned in by his own 18-year-old son who feared for his life and felt his father was a danger to himself and the family.

While the play is compelling, the question is what is the message? Is the play asking would we have done what the son did? The father is quoted by the son as calling him a traitor while the son defends his action as that of a patriot who was appalled by his father’s attacking the Capitol. The play is, to a great extent, preaching to the converted as only people who consider what happened on January 6^th an insurrection would attend the play, while MAGA proponents will not view it that way. The ending is somewhat predictable though the twists and turns of the story do not always take the expected path.

The taut drama is made up of only four characters: the unnamed son, the U.S Attorney, the Defense Attorney, and the father who we see mostly in reenacted flashbacks until the sentencing. The play begins with the son (played by Patrick Keleher) on the witness stand being led through his testimony by the U.S. Attorney (Anna Khaja). He is asked about his family life and his relationship with his father. After years of the family living in comfort, the market collapses and the father loses his job as an oil well drill supervisor. The family moved from a cushy life in Penang, Malaysia, back to Wylie, Texas, where they run through their money. Feeling abandoned by the system, the father is impressed by the rise of Donald Trump and his MAGA campaign who seems to have the answers he is looking for. Becoming radicalized, he joins first the Texas Three Percenters as an active member with the code name “Call to Arms” and later other far-right organizations. He begins buying guns of various kinds, body armor, ammo and handcuffs.

When then President Trump tweeted that he expects a massive protest in Washington on January 6^th, the father borrows his wife’s car so that he can take his guns and drives the 14 hours to the capital. The family recognizes him on television during the news footage of the siege on the U. S. Capitol. When he returns from Washington, he begins publically bragging about his part in the events although he is clear that he was bear sprayed and never actually entered the building but made it possible for others to break in. When he begins threatening his wife with a gun, the son becomes frightened and begins secretly recording his father’s rants. With the father moving ever further to the right, the son finds his politics moving further to the left. When the son tells him that “Everyone there on the 6^th should be locked up for the rest of their lives,” the father responds with “If you turn me in, you’re a traitor. And traitors get shot.” This is when the son went on line and reported his father to the FBI.

All of this is matter-of-factly laid out by the son. The dramatic temperature does not rise until nearly the end when the Defense Attorney (Larry Poindexter) accuses the son of doing all this for the GoFundMe page that netted him $158,000 that he did not share with his family after he moved out of his parents’ home and had to pay his own way. He also gets the son to admit that the father often drank too much, exaggerated a good deal, was prone to bragging, and took Xanax for a bad back even though it was a medication for anxiety. The attorney also tries to get him to admit he took money for all the radio and television interviews that he did but the son denies it. In their closing arguments, the U.S. Attorney asserts that “We are here today because no one is above the law,” while the Defense Attorney asks “Do we now live in a nation where what we think, what we believe, what we say, is a crime?”

Keleher as the son is mainly cool, calm and collected, giving his unimpassioned testimony with a controlled demeanor. He only gets a little more emotional towards the end when he is accused of profiting from his actions. It is Bottitta as the father whose reenactments show a man out of control, violent and unrestrained. Of the two attorneys, Khaja never shows any emotion while Poindexter is both ironic and sardonic. As a play, Fatherland might be more exciting if there had been more fireworks in the course of this recreated trial.

Joel Daavid’s minimal set design is made up simply of the witness chair and two tables for the attorneys which stay out of the way of performers. The back wall is made up of slats which reveal Alison Brummer’s moody lighting design which continually changes color behind it without affecting the emotional temperature of the proceedings. Danyele Thomas’ appropriately bland costumes also take little away from the testimony which is crystal clear in Stewart Blackwood’s sound design.

While Fatherland tells an interesting story, the presentation is almost anti-theatrical as it is mostly told on one level until nearly the end, almost like a radio play. Whether you root for the son who turned in his father for crimes against democracy or not, Fatherland is a solid courtroom recreation without much in the way of high moments of drama. Its message remains unclear other than to tell an interesting and unique story. However, it may be asking would you have done the same in these circumstances.

Fatherland (through November 23, 2024)

The Fountain Theatre

New York City Center Stage II, 131 W. 55^th Street, in Manhattan

For tickets, call 212-581-1212 or visit http://www.fatherlandplay.com

Running time: one hour and 20 minutes without an intermission