Laughter abounds in the Huntington Theatre Company’s current production “God of Carnage,” but it’s nothing that hasn’t been seen before. When done well, four loathsome narcissistic New Yorkers wreaking havoc is always entertaining.
Playwright Yasmina Reza (translated by Christopher Hampton) has gifted her “Car-nage” characters with gems like “f— the hamster” and “puking seems to have perked you up.” What makes it better is that the ensemble delivers the witty repartee with great flair and impeccable timing.
Christy Pusz’s nauseatingly authentic vomiting on cue is an impressive theatrical feat, but it’s probably the only thing you’ll remember about this light piece of social satire after the curtain comes down. Brooks Ashmanskas returns to the Huntington stage with a solid performance as her character’s husband, an irritating attorney with a cell phone attached to his ear.
As their foes, Johanna Day and Stephen Bogardus both deliver top-notch comic performances that include a riotous cleanup of the aforementioned vomit. Unfortunately, it’s the play and not the players that render it forgettable.
