Robert O’Hara’s new play Mankind, at Playwrights Horizons, is the story of a society where women are
extinct; when you enter the theatre, you hear the voices of Michelle Obama and Barbara Walters. Procreation becomes the fulcrum of this newly all-male society, and as such is the center of a new religion. The show centers on speculation about what caused the disappearance of women and the pregnancy of Jason (Bobby Moreno). It’s allegedly a comedy, but unfortunately, the hard-working actors (it also stars Andre De Shields and Anson Mount) find it difficult to provide meaning to the script. How the women disappeared is not clear; was the cause a celestial or an environmental catastrophe? The play doesn’t inspire you to care.
In good conscience, the only recommendation I have about this show is to save your money and see a different play that’s meaningful, entertaining and worthwhile.
