Though Kings opens and closes at a tony ski resort in Vail, Colorado, and makes periodic stops in Florida and Texas, its rotten heart pumps sewage through the arteries of our hometown. Written by Sarah Burgess, who hails from Alexandria and knows a thing or two about Washington’s insider culture, this play satirizes a symbiosis of craven lobbyists, hamstrung lawmakers, and powerful donors alike.
By now, “the swamp” has become well-trod narrative territory. Three parts House of Cards, one part Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Kings feels remarkably fresh because it doesn’t just excoriate everyday corruption by the political class. It investigates the personal motives, some more dastardly than others, that keep the system so firmly in place.
Kings tells the story of a freshman congresswoman navigating the perils of “funders”—fundraising retreats—and the daily cold-calls to donors that test her sanity. Two lobbyists swoop in with their own agendas, the shark-eyed Lauren (Laura C. Harris, seemingly icy to the touch) and her ex-girlfriend Kate (the awkward but frank Kelly McCrann). The former used to work for Senator John McDowell of Texas (a jovial, imposing Elliott Bales), a longtime friend who’s now a client. He is an advocate for a bill that stuffs the bank accounts of the one percent.
Kings may be cynical, but it never veers into outright nihilism. Hope remains, here and there, by way of an aforementioned hero: Representative Sydney Millsap.
Millsap is one of a kind in many ways. She’s both the first woman and person of color elected to Congress in her district, located in northern Dallas. This fact is repeated to her by countless sycophantic lobbyists looking to curry favor and influence her future votes. Millsap isn’t only resistant to such transactions, she’s actively hostile to the notion that her vote is up for grabs.
Nehassaiu deGannes plays Millsap, with overt skepticism and fiery outrage, as an immovable object meeting an unstoppable force. We don’t doubt that Millsap will be the moral victor, even if she comes up short in the end. It’s a sensational performance, the fulcrum of a fabulous show, one of the year’s best.
Kings, as a title, refers to the nameless billionaires, the puppeteers who yank various strings throughout this excellent play. But none of this could be executed so surely without director Marti Lyons’ fluid staging, scenic designer Luciana Stecconi’s thoughtful minimalism, and costume designer Sarah Cubbage’s spot-on wardrobe. Studio Theatre has pulled off a magnificent emotional feat in a tiny space, one that somehow surpasses a grand spectacle staged in a vast opera house.
Kings runs at Studio Theatre through January 6. Tickets $20-$69. Runtime approximately one hour and 40 minutes with no intermission.
This post has been updated to reflect that McDowell advocates for a bill that benefits the one percent.
