Monday, October 22, 2018

From the Desk of Jim R, Take 2, Column 109, A Review: "Constellations" (Hudson Stage Company)


By James V. Ruocco

Time, for example, moves ever so quickly.
But what if, it could be stopped completely, flipped, rolled or run backwards, then forwards with the same set of people and dialogue but very different endings and conclusions.

And what about life?
There is a beginning, a middle, an end.
Or is there?
So many choices. So many infinite possibilities

Is is possible to rewrite destiny?

That is the general conceit behind British dramatist Nick Payne's "Constellations," a twisty, neatly governed, splendidly written drama that brings two people together (one man; one woman) in typical chance meeting fashion that is anything but typical.
In his universe, everyone exists in a parallel world that actually offers more parallels and worlds than one might imagine.
Interesting?
Yes.
Complex?
Yes.
Wonderfully complicated and eerily intriguing?
Double, yes.


"In the quantum multiverse, every choice, every decision you've ever and never made exists in an unimaginably vast ensemble of parallel universes," the character of Marianne (a talky physicist) tells the character of Roland (a charismatic beekeeper), shortly after "Constellations" begins.

You don't have to be a scientist or quantum physicist to figure things out because the theatrical gravity of "Constellations," so to speak, is smart, spare, simple and smooth. What matters here is the chance meeting that happens between two people and how it all plays out in decided fashion with various versions of their lives being tossed, turned and served with a decided, definitive cosmic relish that overflows with attention-craving originality and unpredictability.

That said, this is not a play about awe-inspired sets, costuming and visuals. It's a play that requires a mastermind of sorts who can deftly arrange and rearrange Payne's parallel puzzles and transitions with subtle movement that is effortless, exciting and openly involving.


The goods news is that nothing is topsy-turvy about Hudson Stage Company's thrilling presentation of "Constellations." It is chock full of theoretical insight, knowledge, reticence, reason and imagination. It is also the perfect vehicle to jump start HSC's 20th season.

It probes.
It excites.
It spins.
It intrigues.
It connects.

"Constellations" is being staged by director Mark Shanahan who returns to Hudson Stage Company having previously directed "The Hound of the Baskervilles." Working from Nick Payne's eloquent, articulate script, he crafts a poetic, wholly satisfying, emotionally exciting evening of theater. His "Constellations" is alive with humanity and spirit and buzzes with a flavorful, pungent theatricality that complements the playwright's cosmic dance of courtship, conflict, fate, death and uncertainty most engagingly.


As directorial navigator, everything that happens in the play is marvelously thought out, rendered, staged and blocked with such deft, fugue-like precision, things just keep spinning and spinning with no lulls in the action or any points of tedium. Even when scenes are repeated three, four or five times, Shanahan thrusts you into the world of what if's and parallel mind games using just the right amount of force, imagination and urgency to take you far beyond the realm of alternate line readings and character exchanges. Even when there is absolutely no dialogue and a scene is played out using only British sign language, there is real thought and believability behind every unspoken expression, anticipation and body movement.

This production of "Constellations" also benefits from Shanahan's recruitment of Matt Otto (original music and sound design), Andrew Gmoser (lighting design), David C. Woolard (costume design) and  James L. Fenton (set design) as his production team. Here, everyone is united as one to make perfect sense out of the play's umpteenth parallel universe transitions, resolutions and equations through choice, but varied light cues, sound cues, music cues, costuming, etc. Everything falls neatly into place so unobtrusively, there is never any doubt as to what is happening on stage or when time and place actually changes along with the personalities of the same characters. It's all very beautiful to watch and observe under Shanahan's well-judged tutelage.

Exceptional casting is the key element in the sometimes quirky, sometimes complicated working machinations of "Constellations" and director Mark Shanahan  has found the ideal Roland and Marianne in Ben Paul Williams and Faith Sandberg. As actors, they are completely in sync with the fast, fluid, intuitive and manic energies of Nick Payne's riveting and challenging script, which is the glue that holds "Constellations" together for its relatively short 70-minute running time. They also share a passion and excitement for performance which is obvious from the moment they appear on stage and invite us into their personal story and its plethora of every-changing scenarios, dialogue, back steps, flash forwards,  movements, rhythmic dances  and connections, which the playwright concocts with immersive, compelling and dynamic relish.


With Shanahan orchestrating the moves like a classical music conductor, Williams and Sandberg
never once miss a beat, a turn, a stop, a go, a pause, a surprise, a twist, a tick, a bite, a connection or a sharp-circuited disconnection. They are an amazing, exhilarating twosome who lovingly embrace Payne's intricate play script, its timely evolution, its ever-changing character analysis and advancement plus their director's choice, steadied, balanced stage direction. They also have great fun playing off one another, which, in turn, makes their on-stage relationship entirely plausible along with their decidedly different variations of Roland and Marianne and the alternate paths and permutations of their characters.

From an actor's standpoint, the very idea of playing two people who meet and connect in countless parallel universes that never once stop turning, evolving or changing, is a challenge in itself. For example, every time a scene starts, stops or begins again, each actor must reconnect with the character, the situation or a line of dialogue, using slightly different interpretations, both vocally and physically. Sometimes, there's a pause. Sometimes, there is not. Sometimes, the scene simply starts over. Sometimes, the same scene is joined in progress. Or sometimes, the exact same scene jumps ahead using slightly different dialogue, but this time,  it is reinterpreted by the man instead of the woman, or vice-versa.
The actor, in turn, must be ready to go and, thus, make the split-second change unobtrusively without the blink of an eye or a heartbeat. Daunting, yes. Impossible, no.


As "Constellations" unfolds and builds to its unique, tantalizing conclusion, Williams and Sandberg  digest, devour and sustain the uniqueness of their wildly imaginative actor's ride effortlessly. They are committed. They are persuasive. They are charming. They are vulnerable. They are intense. They are sexual. They are  puzzling. They are curious. They are surprising. They are earthy. They are entertaining. They are quirky. They make us smile. They make us cheer. They reduce us to tears. And when it all ends, the standing ovation they get from a much-appreciative audience, is richly deserved. This is a real actor's showpiece and both performers bask in its glory.

"Constellations" is an ingenious, profound, intelligently crafted piece of theater. It dazzles. It surprises. It fascinates. Brimming with beautiful, real-life moments, situations and conversations, it makes for a riveting watch as it taunts and teases with your senses. Shanahan's tight, fueled direction and the raw onstage chemistry he elicits from both Williams and Sandberg  make this a production not to miss. Its what if's and might-have-been's also leave room for plenty of weighty, thought-provoking conversation for the ride home, thereafter and long after that.



Photos by Rana Faure and Justin Gallagher

 "Constellations" is being staged at Hudson Stage Company (Whippoorwill Hall Theatre, North Castle Library, 19 Whippoorwill Rd. East, Armonk, NY), now through November 3.
For tickets or more information, call (914) 217-2811.
website: hudsonstage.com.

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