Amy Herzog’s ‘4,000 Miles’ (1st review)

Vera is intelligent, literate (her Manhattan apartment is filled with books) and very funny. Although she’s apparently nearing 90, she’s sharp and witty— the sort of grandmother or aunt we’d all love to have in our families. Beth Dixon superbly portrays this memorable character with stooped posture and shuffling gait.

Vera often forgets a word that she’s looking for, which bothers her much more than her difficulties in walking and hearing. Interestingly, after her grandson arrives and spends some days with her, those forgetful moments diminish.

The grandson, effectively played by Davy Raphaely, accurately reflects many of today’s 20-somethings: unfocused, angry about unspecified issues and disrespectful toward his elders. He has only derogatory words about his mother— whom we don’t see— and he’s impatient with his grandmother (although he does reach out to hug her).

The F-word

I’ve grown inured to the F-word when anyone like my 20-year-old son utters it casually, as in, “What a fuckin’ catch!” Or even when expressing political opinion such as, “Ted Cruz is fuckin’ crazy.” But Leo repeatedly— and wrongly— uses the word in anger in his grandmother’s presence. Because he’s so irritating and unsympathetic, 4,000 Miles essentially creates an unequal match-up between the protagonists.

Leo’s choices in women are inexplicable, and the details of an apparently long relationship with a college student named Bec are fuzzy. A scene between Leo and Bec became so tedious that I yearned for Vera to come back on to the stage. This wasn’t the fault of the actress (Shannon Marie Sullivan); her character simply had nothing to contribute. And Leo’s brief liaison with a self-described slut named Amanda reveals nothing more than Leo’s confusion and immaturity, which we already perceived.

Cyclist’s dubious adventures

Vera’s past Communist history is mentioned, triggering a joke by Leo: “That’s sort of like being for recycling today.” Not enough is made of the socio-economic issues that mean so much to American Communists in the 1930s. There’s hardly any debate of beliefs between the generations.

The title refers to Leo’s cross-country bike trip, which brings him to New York. My wife is a long-distance cyclist and I’m familiar with the milieu. Yet Leo’s alleged atypical adventures on the road didn’t ring true with me, nor do they reinforce the main story about his ancestral relationship. We’re supposed to infer that Leo is on a journey to connect with his family, but at play’s end he still has a long way to go.

To read another review by SaraKay Smullens, click here.