“Immersive” seems to have become a buzzword in today’s critical circles, being thrown around like a child’s ragdoll, but many of these critics fail to grasp exactly what the word truly means. A play with a few relatable situations, or that features believable characters does not an immersive experience make, it requires a touch more. To make a truly immersive work, a writer must create a world so vivid and honest that audiences can’t help but be whisked into it, leaving whatever troubles they may have entered the theater with behind, and feature characters who seem to live their lives, not just move a plot along. A truly immersive play leaves the audience feeling not just like spectators, but voyeurs. Steven Dietz has created such a world with his latest production to hit Austin stages, Becky’s New Car, which he first premiered in Seattle a few years ago, but which he is proud to finally bring home to Austin, choosing to direct the play as well.
From the moment we take our seats in Zach Scott’s lovely, intimate Whisenhunt Stage, we’re dropped into the life of Rebecca “Becky” Foster and her family. She may not be living the high life, but she makes a comfortable, decent living as a title clerk and office manager at a car dealership, putting up with constant quips from her overeducated and underemployed son, her roughneck husband, and her grieving boss. Dietz uses not just the center performance area, but every inch of the theater for his canvas, having characters roam the aisles and interact with the audience, even putting audience members to work at points in the play, using them to help make important plot decisions. This 
completely shatters any sense of a “fourth wall”, and plunges us headfirst into the action of the production, making the audience feel like more than just mere observers, but part of the play.
As Lauren Lane’s Becky waltzes on to stage, vacuum cleaner in hand, its difficult not to love her. Dietz seems to have created in her a wonderful collection of charms and quirks that instantly endear her to the audience, with just enough flaws to keep things interesting and make her seem human. Using this template, Lane hits the ground running, sculpting an earnest and heartfelt performance, while still being able to garner quite a few laughs throughout the work. It’s the audience’s love for the character that makes her horrible downfall near the end of the play hit that much harder, helping us to appreciate the ending to a much greater degree. Lane and Dietz have created one of the most memorable characters of the year, which is sure to have members of the audience laughing until their sides heart and crying their eyes out.
Lane may have given a stellar performance as Becky, but we mustn’t discount the work of the rest of Dietz’s cast. Lucien Douglas, star of stage and screen, pulls out his wackiest, yet touching best, playing 
the romantic and charming, but loopy, Walter Flood. A billboard magnate, Flood mistakes Becky for a widow, and shows her a world she never imagined, and in the process nearly brings down the entire house of cards. Chris Gibson plays Becky’s husband, Joe, and for much of the play simply sits in the background, but he runs for the head of the pack in the last leg, showing a real talent for deadpan humor, but it’s his ability to hold back his emotions that really makes the performance shine. There are moments where, without saying a word, a thousand emotions may flash across his face, and by play’s end, he is able to capture the complexity of the difficult situation with subdued skill. Josh Meyer, star of last year’s offbeat masterpiece Dionysus in 69, steps in with another of his trademark quirky performances, this time as Becky’s intellectual, psychobabble-spouting son Chris, whose journey for love becomes the crux of one of the play’s most important moments. One more shining star of this cast is Babs George as Ginger, an alcoholic widow who has lost her entire fortune, and who tries to make a life for herself as a working woman. George plays the role as if it was written for her, practically becoming the wealthy socialite-cum-bartender right before our eyes, bringing laughs every time she hits the stage. She also shows great tenderness, bringing the audience to tears in one of the play’s more emotional moments in the piece's final minutes.
In Becky’s New Car, Dietz has balanced the elements in such excellent alignment, it’s a shock to watch it all unfold. With a tight, fresh script, a cast that seems a sampling of all the best talents in town, inspired lighting design, and even a rockin’ soundtrack, featuring all your favorite driving songs, Dietz has created one of the most successful and polished pieces to hit Austin stages this year. The occasional tone shifts, though handled skillfully, may be off putting to those expecting a lighthearted romp, and the major plot twist near the end may leave some scratching their heads, but overall Becky’s New Car is an 
enjoyable night of theater for any visitor, and one of the most enjoyable comedies I’ve had the pleasure of seeing this year.
Becky's New Car is playing at Zach Scott's Whisenhunt Stage through the July 11th. For more information, and to purchase tickets, be sure to visit Zach Theatre's website at zachtheatre.org.
Photos courtesy of Kirk R. Tuck.
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