A Symphony for Slackers

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"WHATEVER." The ultimate expression of slacker indifference gains a sinister significance in Neil LaBute's "The Distance From Here," in which three teenagers cope with the stultifying banality of their lower-class suburban lives.

Co-produced by the Woolly Mammoth Theatre and the University of Maryland, the play describes the depths to which people will go when desperate — or just bored.

The story centers on the volatile Darrell (James Gardiner), an angry youth who taunts zoo animals, spews racist epithets and bullies his best friend, the long-suffering Tim (Michael Saltzman). Darrell's girlfriend, Jenn (Alice Gibson), would seemingly leave him were it not for his mercurial temper.

At home, Darrell barely registers with his mom, Cammie (Jennifer Plants), who is more interested in her boyfriend, Rich (Tim Getman). Cammie's stepdaughter, Shari (Joanna Higbee), has a baby whose constant wailing signifies the household's neglect and apathy.

Tim and Jenn pique Darrell's suspicion when they lie to him about a few innocuous matters, and things come to a head when Darrell suspects Jenn of cheating on him. Increasingly desperate and suspicious of everyone around him, Darrell makes a discovery that provokes him to shocking action.

"The Distance From Here" will feel familiar to LaBute fans in its portrayal of ordinary people doing extraordinarily brutal things.

» Clarice Smith Center, University Boulevard and Stadium Drive, College Park; through March 3, $20; 301-405-2787. (College Park-U of Md.)

This post was written by Express contributor Erin Trompeter.
Photo by Stan Barouh