'Tru' Review

Portraying one of the most well-known and foppishly over-the-top characters as Truman Capote would be a daunting task for even the most serious of actors. The voice, the mannerisms, the elaborately dandified getups—any of which could steer an attempt at an honest portrayal into a caricature of the most ridiculous form. Especially during a nearly two-hour one-man show. Add into the mix a leading man known primarily for his comedic impersonations on a late-night sketch show and the odds are high that this undertaking could be a recipe for disaster.

But guess what? Darrell Hammond not only nails his portrayal of the famously affected Mr. Capote at the Bay Street Theatre in Sag Harbor, his performance as “Tru” is true.

The play, written by Jay Presson Allen, is set entirely in Mr. Capote’s United Nations Plaza Apartment in Manhattan. The action spans the time between Christmas Eve 1975 and New Year’s Day 1976. It seems fitting that Mr. Capote be entirely alone (he takes and makes a few phone calls but no one else steps foot in his apartment) during the course of the two-hour play. At the time of the play’s setting, he was being ostracized by his closest socialite friends, including “Babe” Paley and “Slim” Keith, for writing a thinly veiled tell-all, “Answered Prayers,” parts of which had just appeared in Esquire magazine.

The play begins with a delivery of a gift of poinsettias, of which Mr. Capote is not exactly thrilled, especially since he has allocated a rather large budget for holiday gift giving.

“Poinsettias are the Bob Goulet of botany,” he sneers. “I’m giving stuff from Tiffany and I’m getting poinsettias.”

Popping pills, downing cocktails and gorging on chocolate, Mr. Capote spirals into a deep, nearly suicidal, depression as the impact of the consequences of his actions settles upon him. But though the play deals with some seriously heavy subject matter, it is also shockingly funny, which might not be much of a surprise for anyone who has ever seen interviews with the quick-witted and snarkily acerbic author of “In Cold Blood” and “Breakfast At Tiffany’s.”

In his portrayal of Mr. Capote, Mr. Hammond is spot-on in his articulation. He perfectly captures the mincing, lisping sing-song quality of the writer’s oh-so-affected voice without falling into parody—a very tough feat.

The man known for playing funny as such big men as Bill Clinton, Sean Connery and Donald Trump is also quite adept at shrinking his frame down to accommodate the compact Capote, particularly his hands, which are normal-sized but appear almost elfin. Mr. Hammond’s whole comportment changes and he

is

Capote for most of the two hours he is on stage, most especially so during the dramatic moments of the second act. This reviewer saw quite a few real, or at least convincing, tears.

Given, I saw the show on the third day into the production, so everything wasn’t perfect. There were moments when Mr. Hammond broke character, most memorably when the theater’s air compressor started up midway through the first act during a fairly serious monologue about Arthur Miller, to the immense amusement of the audience. But he soldiered on, quickly regaining his footing, and his place in the monologue.

It was actually the laughter that bedeviled Mr. Hammond more than the drama. As I mentioned before, the play is darkly funny. Unexpected energetic audience outbursts caused the actor to break into a decidedly un-Capote-like grin a few times but I actually found Mr. Hammond’s ingenuousness charming.

Repeated performances, I’m quite sure, will provide him with more opportunities to get used to the give and take between and actor and audience that happens in such an intimate theater.

The set was perfect. It was easy to forget that we were sitting in present day Sag Harbor and not disco-era Manhattan. The stage management also went quite smoothly. And it’s quite apparent that Matt McGrath, who stepped in last minute as director, and Mr. Hammond are on the same page as the production moved along smoothly apace.

My recommendation: buy tickets to “Tru” before it’s completely sold out.

“Tru” stages on Thursday, June 9, Friday, June 10, and Saturday, June 11, at 8 p.m., Sunday, June 12, at 7 p.m., and Tuesday, June 14, and Wednesday, June 15, at 8 p.m. at Bay Street Theatre in Sag Harbor. Additional performances will be held Tuesdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m., with added matinees on Wednesdays at 2 p.m. and Saturdays at 4 p.m. through June 25. Tickets range from $55 to $65. 725-9500 | baystreet.org.