April was a whirlwind month of varied theatrical productions across the River Region; and then along comes May with the Cloverdale Playhouse's compelling offering of Time Stands Still by award-winning playwright Donald Margulies.
"Compelling" for several reasons: (1) Margulies's densely layered script that prompts his characters to confront a moral dilemma while trying to cement their relationships; (2) challenging the four ensemble actors to deliver rapid-fire and often overlapping dialogue with naturalistic conviction; (3) confidently allowing some long silences to drive home its themes; (4) inviting audiences to share the on-stage conflicts and difficult choices so they might continue talking about them once the curtain comes down.
Success on all counts.
Sarah [Laela G. Bunn] is a photojournalist who covers wartime atrocities. When she and her foreign correspondent partner James [Michael Buchanan] return Stateside so she can recuperate from an on-the-job injury, they soon learn that the ordinary life they both aspire to comes with a lot of complications they little suspected.
On the arrival of their friend and editor Richard [Chris Paulk] and his much younger girlfriend Mandy [Caroline Adams], everyone's perspective changes, as they must all confront difficult choices that test their individual philosophies that are often at odds with ones held by partners who matter the most.
Directed by Christopher Roquemore on J. Scott Grinstead's Bohemian Brooklyn apartment set, serious issues find a counterpoint with humorous moments that relieve the tension momentarily. Mr. Roquemore finds an enviable balance as he guides his cast through the nuances of their characters.
Change can be difficult. These are essentially good people who struggle with making moral choices without hurting others. They are physically and/or emotionally bruised by the horrors of war captured in Sarah's photo images that leave their mark on everyone involved. Uncertain of which course to follow, and often too quick to underestimate one another or assume that they know what is best, the angst is palpable.
Come to Time Stands Still to be touched by the strong performances and subject matter, and perhaps to learn a bit about yourself.
