Hugh Jackman Turns Over a New Leaf in ‘New Born’

Hugh Jackman could never be called a dilettante when it comes to theater. Before he was Wolverine, the Australian movie star gained attention playing Curly in a London production of “Oklahoma!,” and he has repeatedly returned to the stage, collecting two Tony Awards — one for another musical, “The Boy From Oz,” the other for contributions to the Broadway community — and hosting the ceremony four times.More recently, Mr. Jackman appeared in an off-Broadway staging co-produced by Audible Theater and TOGETHER, a company he launched himself with British producer Sonia Friedman, devoted to “creating live theater that is intimate and accessible,” according to Ms. Friedman’s site. Those qualities have certainly applied to the small, starry productions this partnership has brought so far to Audible’s Minetta Lane Theatre downtown, among them Hannah Moscovitch’s “Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes” last year, which paired Mr. Jackman with Ella Beatty.Now Mr. Jackman has returned to the venue in the world premiere staging of “New Born,” a one-act piece by another gifted female playwright, Ella Hickson. The work strings together three monologues, presented here by the actor and two actresses under the typically impeccable direction of Ian Rickson, who has helmed all these outings; the rhyming of his surname and the playwright’s is purely coincidental.Ms. Hickson, who has gained attention across the pond with works like “The Writer” and a modern adaptation of “Oedipus” (not the one that arrived on Broadway last fall), has titled her latest effort cleverly: Two of the three segments in “New Born” involve early parenthood, but more significantly, the sole characters in each of the three find their lives reshaped, or at least heavily impacted, by what seem like chance encounters with other grownups.In the first, “Light,” we meet a fortyish woman, an artist of sorts, who seems to have arrived at a good place in life. She’s got a loving husband and a young son she adores, and a home studio where she can spend satisfied hours each day. Still, she’s restless: “I have the thought of being free, feel the lightness of it,” she admits, “then feel guilt, for wanting more — or less — than I already have, because…I do know that I am incredibly lucky.”Sepideh Moafi in ‘New Born.’ Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMadeThe woman, who is played by Sepideh Moafi, known for her work on TV series “The Pitt,” also struggles with addiction — not to drugs or alcohol, but to her smartphone, where she wastes precious time scrolling for celebrity gossip. When, by chance, one of those famous, glamorous folks enters her life, it seems possible that her contented but staid life could be upended by seduction.Ms. Moafi’s warm, witty performance underlines her character’s acute, almost painful self-awareness, and how it comes into conflict with the temptation and titillation she feels. More than a portrait of a tortured individual, though, “Light” is ultimately a cultural indictment, lamenting, with an admirable lack of snark, how digital technology has encouraged petty inclinations and increasingly removed us from the joys and struggles of living.The following monologue, “Rattle,” follows a young inn worker named Martha, who lives in a small town in Wyoming, seemingly removed from such concerns by both time and place. Played by Marianna Gailus, who recently captured attention as Andrew Scott’s understudy in “Vanya,” Martha is also saddled with caring for her ailing, small-minded mother. Her job at the inn is clearly no picnic either: Within minutes, we learn of an incident in which she is targeted by two customers, seemingly real rednecks, with sexist remarks, and eventually subjected to violence.Marianna Gailus in ‘New Born.’ Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMadeWhat makes “Rattle” the most compelling entry in “New Born,” however, is that the people Martha describes to us are not as simple or predictable as they initially appear. Ms. Gailus, whose delivery can be bone-chilling at times, enhancing the suspense, also charts their progress with a directness that adds to the ultimate poignance of the piece.Mr. Jackman — the headliner, even though he’s not billed as such — naturally turns up last, in “Deadwood.” He plays an arborist, or a “tree surgeon,” as he calls himself, enlisted by an attractive single woman to tend to an old, ailing tree with which she has an unusually close relationship. Inevitably, the two fall in love—the arborist and the woman, that is—and the monologue tracks their journey, in which Mr. Jackman’s character emerges as both appealing and decidedly imperfect.The role, which allows the actor to employ his Australian accent, is a fine showcase for his easy, masculine charm, and covers more emotional range towards the end. If “Deadwood” is by no means the high point of “New Born,” it’s a nice reminder of Mr. Jackman’s charisma as a stage actor, and his genuine dedication to the medium.

Hugh Jackman Turns Over a New Leaf in ‘New Born’

Hugh Jackman Turns Over a New Leaf in ‘New Born’

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