My typical impression of small productions like these is often negative, as I do not particularly enjoy simple works. I would prefer a play like a Broadway show because I like it when there is more going on since I get distracted less. The trip getting to the city wasn’t bad, just a lot of traffic which is to be expected.
Walking into the theater, honestly, I was underwhelmed because I was skeptical about how such a small set could remain the set for the entire play. Even looking at the audience, I was certain that it was meant for a different audience than myself. I thought to myself that it surely couldn’t be as static and boring as it seems, in some aspects, I was proven right and very wrong in others.
When the play began, we were introduced to the two main actors: Katie and Paul. Katie works at a diner where Paul is a frequent visitor, and throughout the play, the dynamics of their relationship reveal itself. For the first of the play, I was unimpressed because their interactions seemed very mundane and too ordinary to become interesting. Honestly, I did not like the play until Paul asked Katie to become friends, this puzzled me because with a person who you see almost every day, I would assume they are already beyond acquaintances. After Paul established the two were friends, he revealed a deep secret that he was rather bored and depressed with the life he had led, and in the future, he wants Katie to poison him. This struck me. Such an ordinary play suddenly turned into a complex dynamic between the characters, and this now put Katie at a loss.
After the poison came into play, it allowed for both characters to open up and tell each other’s secrets. At this point, it became so interesting since Katie revealed her past love life and that she had 27 voicemails she could never bring herself to delete. Paul helped her through it. The connection between these two made me see each of them in different lights; it revealed that neither of them had a person who could help them with these tough decisions, they didn’t have a best friend. It showed me how such simple interactions at a diner could be so much more meaningful. The fact that there were only two characters in the play was so more impactful as it shows the quiet nature of the town and how their connection is so simple yet complex. It is insane that this little town, little diner, and ordinary people left such a message.
The play addresses such serious issues in a lighthearted way as a way to spread awareness. When Katie revealed that she could not have kids, that really hit me. I even felt bad for judging the play so quickly, saying it would not have an impact on me. But that twist explained so much about Katie’s hard exterior and soft inside persona. It made me think that people that we meet daily have things going on that we do not know of. Ordinary people have something going on that never reaches the surface. No matter how well you think you know someone, they have an untold story. It is a lesson to be conscious that you can’t tell everything about a person by looking at them or small interactions. It was such a small thing that left a huge impact on me.
The only thing I must note is that many of the references were outdated, at least for me. This confirmed my prediction it was aimed at an older audience. The one thing I liked was the connection to sharing the Netflix password it provided a humor that was easy to understand. However, even with the play geared toward an older audience, the message was still clear.
The use of lights and audio was something that was worthy to note as it added an element of movement in an otherwise static play. It was interesting that the progression of time was still easy to understand despite no direction. The simple light movement was crucial for supporting the play’s message.
The ending of the play was what I loved most about the play. The open-ended play posed so many questions: Did Katie poison him? Did Katie reunite with her old love? Did Paul continue his life in the town or move? It was such a meaningful ending. I loved the evolution of both characters, which was most seen at the end of the play. Katie is now able to open up just a little more and is able to rekindle her love with her past. Paul now sees the complexity of life, and how it is not always running away but simply moving forward, I hope he moves out of the town that he has stayed in most of his life.