STILL WATERS RUN DEEP
Lia Romeo‘s Still at the DR2 Theatre, is a moving, intimate play starring two confident actors, Jayne Atkinson as Helen and Tim Daly as Mark, who inhabit their roles with naturalism and nuance. Director Adrienne Campbell-Holt had only them in mind when she staged it because they almost never move, it’s all about their dialogue, and while the inaction can make the 80-minutes feel slightly drawn-out, it is nonetheless engaging.
Helen and Mark haven’t seen each other for 30 years, when their relationship ended; we find them in a hotel bar, Helen, 65, a well-known writer, and Mark, 67, a lawyer, chatting like close friends, falling back on old in jokes, as if time never passed. Each character contemplates their life choices; he got married, has two daughters, had a heart attack (“The kind where it isn’t serious, and they put you on statins”) and a divorce almost at the same time. Tough, ambitious, and self‐mocking, Helen never married, has no children, and she is proud of her independence. Costume designer Barbara Bell lets us know they are both successful professionals by dressing them in stylish but understated outfits.
Tim Daly and Jayne Atkinson
The more they talk, the more we see sparks of attraction; Mark opens up, lets her know that he has always thought of her, of the way they were, and she candidly makes fun of him, rebutting with dry humor, a feeble defense because she is slowly falling for his unpretentious charm. Enough to let him know she has battled breast cancer, a tragic event that makes Mark bare his feelings for her even more. Atkinson is always able to show us the pain in her important revelations, becoming touchingly vulnerable each time.
Behind them, there is a panel with backlit shelves containing green-shaded empty bottles cleverly arranged, a sleek setting for the bar created by Alexander Woodward that changes into a sad hotel room when the sexual tension between the two rises. Sound design by Hidenori Nakajo and lighting design by Reza Behjat are unobtrusive and minimalistic. Helen and Mark fall into bed and lights go down.
Jayne Atkinson and Tim Daly
The what-if continues for a while until we learn that Mark is running for Congress with the Republican Party. An immediate turn-off for Helen, and that’s not even half of it, they share a secret that could impede his chances of election. Is that why he arranged the appointment? Should she put her guard back up? Doubt and desire, a dangerous mix; for Helen their differences may not be reconciled, love may not be enough to make it work. Or is it? I’m not going any further or I’ll spoil it for you.
The best part is when Helen throws a ukulele, an avocado and a packet of macadamia nuts at him, “Were you always this much of an asshole, or is that also something that happens as people get older?” Still is described as a comedy, probably because the tone is light and satirical, but it doesn’t have enough jokes and almost no body language; it’s a well-written play, poignant without being sappy, interpreted by two excellent thespians.
photos by Joey Moro
Still
DR2 Theatre, 103 East 15th Street, off Union Square
Tues-Fri at 7; Sat at 8; Wed at 1
for tickets (beginning at $26), call 212.239.6200 or visit Telecharge
