IN THE STILL OF THE NIGHT,
WILL EX-LOVERS REUNITE OR FIGHT?
After decades apart, can the passion of once-young lovers sizzle again, like leftover pizza zapped in the microwave? Picking up an old relationship isn’t as easy as picking up takeout—food doesn’t come with the “Can we be a couple again?” dilemma. Still, playing at the Sheen Center through March 23, drops Mark and Helen into that question when they meet in a hotel bar for the first time in 30 years. He invites her upstairs, and sparks fly—then insults, accusations, and, soon enough, objects from Helen’s oversized bag, including a ukulele. Lust resurfaces. So does rage. Mark ducks. Maybe they should’ve just gone for pizza.
People change. Old feelings, not always. Regret, nostalgia, and what-ifs swirl as Mark, a high-powered lawyer with political ambitions and two kids, reconnects with Helen, a single, successful novelist who admits that she incorporates into her characters elements of her experiences, or ones she’s heard about, and aspects of people she’s known. Drinks flow, laughter follows, but before long, the real question isn’t whether they’ll have another round—it’s whether they’ll spend the night or call it quits all over again. 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 by Hidenori Nakajo lighting by Reza Behjat and costumes by Barbara Bell are unobtrusive and minimalistic.
After sharing some personal situations and insecurities, the subject of politics has come up. They don’t see eye to eye. The conversation heats up in a way parallel to how their passion heats up earlier. Starring the appealing and resourceful actors Melissa Gilbert and Mark Moses (a coincidence that he shares his character’s first name), this is the third consecutive year that Lia Romeo’s play has been directed by Adrienne Campbell-Holt, the founding artistic director of Colt Coeur, the producing organization. Romeo, candid about her own politically divided marriage, threads personal experience into the script, giving the debate an edge that feels all too familiar.
Despite being written and directed by women, Still avoids stereotypes. Mark, though flawed, isn’t reduced to a one-note antagonist, and Helen isn’t some idealized Superwoman. While some elements of the plot feel predictable, and political back-and-forths verge on preachy—like media debates, insults, and, for some families, arguments at dinner—Still still has a lot to say and a lot of heart.
At 18 Bleecker Street, the Sheen Center keeps it cozy. Wine and soft drinks are sold at the ticket table, along with some candy—because sometimes, you just need a little something sweet after all that heat.
photos by Maria Baranova
Still
The Sheen Center for Thought & Culture
Loreto Theater, 18 Bleecker Street
Mon, Wed, Thurs and Sat at 7:30; Fri at 6; Sat & Sun at 3
ends on March 3, 2025
for tickets ($39-$99), call 212.219.3132 or visit Sheen Center
