Heartless corporate greed, it turns out, can wear a winning
smile.
"Enron, Enron, Enron, Enron!"
This flamboyant play tracks Enron's leaders as they rise from
rags to riches -- and then get sent to prison.
At the heart of this smirking social satire is corporate
strategist Jeffrey Skilling, intensely played by actor Jonathan
Williams. He dazzles prospective investors with his smo-o-o-o-oth
sales pitch.
"We're not just an energy company. We're a powerhouse for
ideas. No other company lets people work as freely and creatively
as we do. If you hire only the most brilliant people…."
Based on rosy projections of huge profits, people rush to buy
stock.
"By close of market today, energy darling Enron's stock rose
26 percent in a single day, to a new high of 6725. That's
staggering, isn't it, Elyse?"
"It sure is, Gayle. That's why we're naming them our 'Must Buy
of the Week.'"
"It's astounding. Their ambition and creativity."
"They're unstoppable! They're the light of the New
Economy!"
The problem is that the company is all smoke and
mirrors. And this is where the satire comes in.
Financial industry experts stroll onstage dressed as three
blind mice using canes and wearing business suits, unaware that
they are being swindled. (Music).
And down in the basement of the company headquarters, there
are fearsome toothy dinosaurs devouring toxic debt, (music) so the
company appears profitable.
This rollicking show delivers sonic zingers and stunning
visuals. It's a cavalcade of crazy costumes and mocking incidental
music by Sacramento composer Gregg Coffin.
The whole show pivots on company man Skilling, He's relentless and yet curiously persuasive, even as his company implodes, leaving bitter co-workers jobless and broke.
If you hanker for an audacious, energetic show depicting greed
and its corrosive effect, "Enron" hits the bull's eye.
"Enron" continues at Sacramento's Capital Stage through October 28th
(extended from October 21st)
View NPR
news stories about the collapse of Enron
Read NPR's story about the 2010 Broadway production
of "Enron."