“2
Across” is an easy, breezy romantic comedy:
Vista’s Broadway Theater stages Jerry Mayer’s
cute but lightweight two person play
By
Donnie Matsuda
It
is funny how some insignificant things – like whether we finish our crossword
puzzles or not – can sometimes serve as apt and
appropriate metaphors for how we live our lives.
Take,
for instance, Janet. This bespectacled,
uptight, and professionally mannered psychologist always uses a pen to complete
her New York Times crossword puzzles, making sure to perfectly cross her t’s
and dot her i’s along the way. Not only
that, but she’s got a copy of Webster’s dictionary, as well as an atlas, packed
in her purse in case she comes across some “crossword emergencies” and needs the
extra help. It is perhaps no surprise
that she lives her life as “Type A” as they come, and it is perhaps somewhat
ironic that her personal life is messily crumbling around her as she works so
diligently to keep everything on the right track.
Eileen Bowman and Marc Sylwestrzak in "2 Across." Photo courtesy of Vista's Broadway Theater. |
She’s
the polar opposite of Josh (a starving actor who masquerades as “Tom Cruise”
for much of the play’s first act). He’s
your typical unkempt and unemployed free-spirit from Berkeley who dabbles
superficially in the art of crossword puzzles, but can easily – and frequently
– be distracted by the headlines on the sports page. Wielding his Number 2 pencil and eraser, he is
a casual puzzler who is not afraid to make mistakes, and as a result, ends up
making quite a few along the way.
Of
course, the crossword gods dictate that these two distinct souls meet on a 4am BART
train, as it leaves San Francisco en route to the East Bay. We, the audience of 2 Across, are with them for the
entire duration of their bus trip, which plays out over the course of two scenes,
which are here split into two 45-minute acts.
And what happens during this rather brief journey can best be described
as sitcom style comedy, filled with rather implausible scenarios, giddy role
play, and lightweight one-liners as our dynamic duo banter back and forth about
their shared fetish for the fill-in-the-blank.
Of course, we learn a little bit about these characters as they begin to
peel away the layers of their personal lives and start to let their hair down,
but in the end, nothing about them remains very deep or very complex. Playwright Jerry Mayer (who perhaps not
surprisingly made a career out of TV screenwriting before moving on to writing
plays) keeps it simple and light throughout: there isn’t an ounce of conflict
or dramatic discord in the entire script and the closest thing we come to
surprise is learning that neither Josh nor Janet are married, despite the fact
they both wear wedding rings.
Eileen Bowman and Marc Sylwestrzak. Photo courtesy of Vista's Broadway Theater. |
But
despite its deficiencies, it is the performances that make this play work, and
here, director Randall Hickman has found a winning pair with the real-life
husband and wife team of Eileen Bowman and Marc Sylwestrzak. Bowman (who herself is a beloved San Diego actress
most recently seen as the female lead in "Joe Vs. The Volcano" at Lambs Players
Theatre) plays the nebbishly neurotic and nasally-voiced Janet to a tee,
delivering her lines with a sort of sophisticated polish and well-rehearsed air. She’s got some fine comedic chops which are
put to excellent use here, and oftentimes, her facial reactions are even more engaging
than her actual lines. Sylwestrzak
provides a near perfect counterpoint to Bowman’s tightly-wound tenacity, with
just the right amount of slacker swag to make his character both credible and
likeable. Together, the two of them
share great (albeit, intentionally awkward) chemistry and play off each other
beautifully. And, to top it off, Hickman’s
staging is sharp and crisp and he uses every inch of space on his simple set,
which is composed of two bus benches across the aisle from each other.
While
Mayer’s writing veers a bit too much toward the cute and kitchy, 2 Across is simply his attempt to
provide an easy, breezy evening of light and innocent fun. And that it is, thanks to Hickman’s skillful
staging and his cast of two dynamic actors who bring this mostly charming story to
life.
The newly remodeled Broadway Theatre where "2 Across" is being performed. Photo courtesy of Vista's Broadway Theater. |
Things to know before you go: 2
Across presented by Vista’s Broadway Theater plays at The
Broadway Theater at 340 East Broadway in Vista through September 23, 2012. Running time is 2 hours with one 15 minute
intermission. For more information and
to purchase tickets, visit www.broadwayvista.com
or call (760) 806-7905.
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