Unicorn "Time Stands Still" review by watchNwrite

Not-Quite-Bold New Play

Rating: 3

Time Stands Still
Unicorn Theatre

When the Unicorn boasts that it puts on "Bold new plays", you have to wonder if they took time off from that tagline to produce "Time Stands Still" a less bold, less daring, and just-kind-of-safe production - as compared to most other plays that have seen light on this stage.

Appropriately directed by Sidonie Garrett and moderately well-acted by the ensemble, Time Stands Still" illuminates the relationship between multiple characters, with the war in Iraq as the undertone and foundation for the conflicts which arise. Sarah, a war photojournalist, returns to her Brooklyn loft from Iraq with help from her boyfriend, James, to recover from injuries sustained from a roadside bomb. From there, Richard, Sarah's editor, and Mandy, Richard's girlfriend, join the action as they continually visit James and Sarah in her loft.

Sidonie Garrett, familiar with the Unicorn stage and actors, fell right into place as the director of a play about relationships. Each relationship was almost-equally definable and thought-out to an acceptable extent - which was a relief being that the play is celebrated as a "relationship drama". The most interesting facets of this theme had to do with the two characters the audience never even sees: the war and Sarah's fixer (translator/assistant).

At times, Sarah's and James' relationship with those two characters seemed to be more defined than their own relationship. The dynamic of "written by a man" and "directed by a woman" was stronger than what was expected; the first private conversation between Sarah and Mandy smacks of that difference - the way it sounded and felt far surpassed the written words in importance. Garrett impresses in certain areas, but minutely disappoints in fully developing parts of relationships and making sense of specific technical aspects.

The scenic design by Jason Coale was, overall, a little confusing. It was unforgivably beautiful to see at first glance, but with more analysis, its individual pieces were just plain odd. The bare front quarter of the stage is predictable in a proscenium setting, but that kind of empty fourth wall always screams that it's perfect for a theatre world, but not for a completely believable one. The amount of depth available by putting the bedroom and the kitchen in the upstage areas was impressive, but there was a very awkward open space behind what was assumed to be the kitchen window; maybe it would not have been as awkward or distracting if it was lined with a black, not beige, material. "Awkward" is also a good way of describing a few other things about this set: the empty picture frame above the bed (which might have been a window?), the bench on the downstage side of the table (which was more indicative of trying to create a feasible acting space than trying to create a realistic loft), the blue bathroom door, and the maybe-needs-a-second-coat-of-paint brown front door. The questionable paint job would be understandable if the loft was supposed to look kind of ratty, but in this situation, it just looked unfinished. All the questionable details aside, though, what was created for the actors to live in was creative, functional and intimate - and so the job was done with some success.

On a good note to lighting designer Alex Perry, it is always refreshing to see environmental lighting creating the space instead of just overhead theatre lighting - that was a nice touch, especially for the gorgeous moment created at the end of Act I.

The sound designer Richard L. Sprecker picked music that was appropriate both for the pace and the emotion. Jon Fulton Adams' costume designs were fitting and subdued with only one upset; Mandy's top in the last scene was relentlessly revealing for no apparent reason - to the point of being a out-right distraction. The stage manager Jinni Pike and the crew worked together rather magnificently to keep the show running smoothly, except for the first scene change in Act II, which seemed to take much longer than the other changes. The actors' knowledge of the play's cultural references were clear, and that is in thanks to Vanessa Campagna, the dramaturg. Gary Campbell as properties designer was more than adequate at his job.

Leading the cast was Carla Noack as Sarah - and what a terrific lead she was. After a somewhat off-handed performance in the first half of the first scene, she really caught the drive and personality of her character; that is what started this show - not the lights. Noack held the relationships onstage in great regard, and her performance was solid because of it. The most intriguing part of David Fritts' performance as James was the almost-campy feeling to his nature - an Uncle Bob, if that's not too much of a cliché. It contrasted rather starkly with the character of Sarah. At first, it appeared as phony, but as the play progressed, the audience saw and believed his position in this group of friends.

Mark Robbins and Ashlee LaPine as Richard and Mandy were a surprising and refreshing addition to the cast. They both had their golden moments, and although Robbins contributed a pretty stable character, LaPine's like-ability grew and shrank throughout the play because of her utter excitement about everything; it was exasperating how jittery she was. In the end, though, LaPine won her audience with a hint of undeniable charm. Both Robbins and LaPine offered stronger acting in solo moments, and that strength only waned when they were next to each other. Robbins' monologue about why he likes Mandy, for instance, was one of the most capturing moments in the entire play. And Mandy's monologue about her and Richard's relationship was, again, very capturing. But then they came together, and all the audience got to see was an attempt at just-right physical contact that tries to illuminate the newness of the relationship while also trying to make the affection between a 20-something girl and 50-something man believable. Side note: No pregnant woman has ever walked like that, on the balls of her feet, sort of hopping.

Donald Margulies' play "Time Stands Still", while chalk-full of deep hits and provocative language in the big fight scene between Sarah and James, fell flat unexpectedly and sporadically, which really messed with the pace. Either that, or upsets in the pace made parts of the play fall flat. Additionally, the script mostly consisted of repeating jokes and situations: Sarah is dry and sarcastic, Mandy is naive, James is overprotective. And it is for this reason, among others, that it is not fitting that the Unicorn would produce this play alongside some of the other productions they have done. But for what it is, it was at least enjoyable, however regrettably not bold.