How it’s New York: AOC represents New York;s 14th congressional district.
How it’s English (Irish): Holland Taylor, who plays the Nancy Pelosi (N) character, is partially English descent. Also, the matriarch is always right.
N (cutesy saying not saying it’s Nancy Pelosi) and A (cutesy for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) butt heads: N. is pragrmatic, experienced, wise. A. is earnest, uncompromising, sincere.
Lather, rinse, repeat.
That is the whole plot of Mario Correa’s new play at Lincoln Center. “N/A” also means not available; I’m not sure what they were getting at here.
In about 90 minutes, in several scenes, N. and A. interact and disagree. Every funny line is given to N. A. is annoying and impertinent. By all accounts, the real AOC IS earnest and sometiems brash, but she also has charm; as Ana Villafañe plays her, she’s just adolescent.
Holland Taylor as N. is the reason to see this, but she struggled with her lines the night I went. But who can blame her; it really felt like the same scene over and over. However, Taylor does have charm and presence.
Correa takes few liberties: we even have video in between scenes of real events. It’s a two-hander and the characters hardly evolve; they do not even change costume (scenic and costume design by Myung Hee Cho).
It’s hard to say whether Villafañe was directed that poorly by Diane Paulus, whether Correa’s script is at fault, or whether she just made bad choices: probably a concoction of all three.
After the first scene, you could leave: nothing new will happen. You’re much better off watching a decent documentary about either.
N/A has been extended through Sept. 1.
