American Fiesta

Steven Tomlinson has found the perfect metaphor for our divided nation: vintage Fiestaware. In American Fiesta, his entertaining solo show at the Vineyard Theatre, the writer/performer chronicles his obsessive search for the classic ceramic dinnerware while simultaneously discussing the political divide between Red States and Blue States and the domestic crisis brewing in his own family when he announces his intention to marry his same-sex partner.

Tomlinson has an amiable persona but proves to be an uneven performer. While the writing is full of wit and humor, not all of his jokes land. It takes him awhile to establish a rapport with his audience, and certain moments play awkwardly, even under the guidance of veteran director Mark Brokaw.

The author uses his own name as his show’s protagonist, but it’s apparent that the play contains a blend of fact and fiction. In addition to his performance work, Tomlinson is an economics teacher and a consultant for various Fortune 500 companies. One of the most clever devices within his one-man show is a power point presentation that incorporates data from a firm called Goldrich Neurometrics that he supposedly did work for. The science employed seems sketchy at best, but it lets Tomlinson display amusing graphics that show the ways our brains react when exposed to political stimuli, and how the original Fiestaware colors are the same ones used in the Homeland Security Terror Alert scale.

The author’s Fiestaware obsession begins after a heated argument with his Oklahoma-based parents about whether or not they will attend his wedding. Driving home, he happens across a little store called “Grandpa’s Attic” where he spies a #7 Red mixing bowl that changes his life. The store’s owner, Will, turns out to be a kind of Fiesta guru who guides Tomlinson on his quest to find the pieces he needs to complete his collection. However, it’s not simply the physical objects that he is looking for; it’s the memories and nostalgia that they invoke of a simpler era. “Suddenly you’re back at your grandmother’s table — safe and warm and well fed,” says Tomlinson, describing the connection.

Neil Patel’s set is akin to a showroom, displaying various pieces of Fiestaware. During the performance, Tomlinson moves several of the bowls from wooden cabinet units to glass shelves to indicate his growing collection. In addition, David Lander’s lighting spotlights the latest acquisitions and Jill BC DuBoff’s sound design creates an appropriate noise to indicate the purchase. David Van Tieghem contributes original music that also adds much to the show’s ambiance and effectiveness.

The story Tomlinson tells is engaging, thoughtful, and at times quite moving. However, he could afford to push certain aspects of the script further. For example, he drops several hints that indicate his partner Leon Alvarez is Latino. But Tomlinson never really explores the way race figures into the picture of American nostalgia that he describes.

Although the show clocks in at about 85 minutes, a little trimming here and there would also be helpful. In particular, he comes to a natural conclusion to his tale and then goes on for another few minutes with a second ending that feels unnecessary.