APT's "Born Yesterday" is a Capra-esque delight all too perfect for today

By Gwen Rice, Special to OnMilwaukee | June 26, 2018

Audiences of Shakespeare's plays are frequently surprised to discover how relevant the stories feel and how timeless the conflicts are, even though they were penned more than 400 years ago. That feeling of recognition and relevance echoed in another (much more recent) period piece, at the opening night of American Players Theatre's production of "Born Yesterday," which runs in rotating repertory through Sept. 22.

Set in the 1940s, the play focuses on an extremely affluent and corrupt businessman who storms into Washington to bully his way to even more wealth, with no regard for the law or the democratic process. Junkyard tycoon Harry Brock (a blustery David Daniel) is the uncouth blowhard at the center of "Born Yesterday," cutting an undeniably similar figure to current politicians. Along with social commentary, the show provides a ton of humor, the moral that "cheaters never win," and the quaint sensibility that with education and opportunity, the American dream is absolutely attainable.

Smartly directed by APT artistic director Brenda DeVita, the production centers itself in the heady time shortly after the end of World War II. Pre-show music from the period plays in the outdoor lobby area even before audiences are seated.

One look at the gorgeous set, designed with precise detail by Nathan Stuber, and viewers are immersed in a lush, black and white world of an extravagantly expensive hotel room arrayed in Art Deco design. Black and white photos of Washington D.C. complement the gold-trimmed sweeping staircase, a long sleek bar, chic vases full of flowers and a state-of-the-art record player.

The setting has all the class that the oaf Brock can buy for his errand: to bribe a senator and sway legislation in his favor. It's also a comfortable home for the love and loyalty Brock has purchased, in the form of his lackey cousin Eddie (the delightful yes-man Josh Krause) and a not-terribly-bright bombshell and former chorus girl Billie, played exquisitely by Colleen Madden.

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