N/A A New Play at Barrington Stage
Timely Political Drama.
By: Charles Giuliano - Jun 12, 2025
“N/A: A New Play”
By Mario Correa.
Directed by Katie Birenboim
Cast Diane Guerrero, Kelly Lester
Scenic Design, Brian Prather; Costumes, Mika Eubanks; Lighting, Wheeler Moon; Sound, Brandon Bulls
Barrington Stage Company
St. Germain Stage, Sydelle and Lee Blatt Performing Arts Center
36 Linden St., Pittsfield
Through June 22
Performances: 7 p.m. Wednesdays; 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays; 2 p.m. Thursdays; 3 p.m. Sundays
On Saturday, June 14, tanks will roll through Washington, D.C. to commemorate the 250th Anniversary of the U.S. Military which is also the birthday of President Donald J. Trump. Corollary to that demonstration of might there is a show of force as the National Guard and Marines have been called up to quell demonstration protesting ICE raids in Los Angeles. This weekend there will be “No Kings” demonstrations all over America. With threats of force like those in LA the President hopes to squash dissent in America.
Given the President’s assault on the arts and higher education the one act, two hander “N/A a New Play” by Mario Correa may be taken as a bold act of defiance by Barrington Stage Company. It is likely to move the Berkshires based company up a few notches on the White House enemies list. Not that it really matters as the National Endowments are toast. With no hope of federal funding why pander to vulgarity and ignorance.
The N in this case is former Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, and the A is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who since 2019 has served as U.S. representative for New York's 14th congressional district. Though never mentioned by name they first meet in the Speaker’s office shortly before being sworn in. At 29, A was the youngest person elected to Congress. N, a pragmatist, is nearing the end of a decades-long and effective career. Third in line for the Presidency she was the first female Speaker.
Both are Democrats but could not be more different. As part of the power elite A sees N as a large part of the problem. Getting things done, as N puts it, means being complicit in a party which has deviated from its core mission and defining principles.
A is played with stunning, crisp precision and palpable, messianic passion by Diane Guerrero. With bright red lips her slender figure has been poured into a pants suit by Mika Eubanks. She totters on spiked black heels. Initially her hair is pulled back into a bun then later released. Arguably, the Colombian/ American actress is more fashionably glamorous than the character she performs.
N, portrayed by Kelly Lester, is suitably matronly in a red satin suit and a rigid, formulaic wig. Her manner seems more rote than the media glimpses of her. Consider her brilliant banter and skewering of Trump during the State of the Union speech. Who will soon forget her acidic smirk when she tore up the text as an act of utter contempt.
It’s that persona that is missing in this series of sharp exchanges with the advantage largely going to A. The play evokes a sense of past and present, a changing of the guard, with the end of an era and the beginning of a new one.
It would be nice to think that but it’s hardly the case. She and "the Squad", initially including Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley, and Rashida Tlaib have made some noise but have been drowned out as Trump, his cronies, and complicit courts have dismantled America like swipes of Elon Musk’s chain saw.
As the early meetings underscore A has arrived in the Beltway as a phenom.
On June 26, 2018, Ocasio-Cortez drew national recognition when she won the Democratic Party's primary election for New York's 14th congressional district. She defeated Democratic Caucus chair Joe Crowley, a 10-term incumbent, in what was widely seen as the biggest upset victory in the 2018 midterm election primaries.. She easily won the November general election, defeating Republican Anthony Pappas. She was reelected in 2020, 2022, and 2024.
She received 57.13% of the vote (15,897) to Crowley's 42.5% (11,761). She was outspent by a margin of 18 to 1 ($1.5 million to $83,000) but won the endorsement of some influential groups on the party's left.
A advocates a progressive platform that includes support for worker cooperatives, Medicare for All, tuition-free public colleges, a jobs guarantee, a Green New Deal, and abolishing the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
All of this is spelled out in the play. The many passages of time are represented by exits, lighting and sound. In one act we leap and bound through time. Toward the end there is the catharsis of January 6 and the attack on the Capital. There are flashing lights and the loud sounds of the rioters.
Crouched behind a desk A fears for her life. Lord only knows what these “peaceful demonstrators” would have done if they got their hands on N, A, and Mike Pence.
Watching it on live TV our President was slow to act and never called out the National Guard. What a stunning contrast to his action in LA and what he threatens this weekend.
With a compelling production Barrington Stage has evoked recent history that fast forwards into the horrific here and now.