After Dark Redux
The Actor’s Theatre of Washington
http://www.atwdc.org/
Review by Rich See
The Actor’s Theatre of Washington kicks off its 2002-2003 season with a remount of last year’s widely popular romantic comedy by Steve Kluger, After Dark. Set in the wee hours of the morning at an L.A. diner five days before Christmas, this boy meets boy love story is a sweet holiday treat, especially in its performance space at the 1409 Playbill Café. The small black box, which seems filled with Christmas decorations, offers a theatrical intimacy that few venues can beat.
As the story opens, angst filled lawyer Ryan, comes into the diner for a cup of coffee and to mull over an impending deposition. Effervescent and seemingly wild boy, Craig, soon enters to get a cup of java, as well. As soon as he notices Ryan, Craig begins enticing the attorney into a date, or at the very least, a one-night stand. What commences is a dialogue filled comedy of witty repartee that slowly reveals each man’s fears, hopes, and inner longings.
Act Two is set five years, to the day, later. After that first Christmas encounter the two became inseparable and began a four and a half year romance, until Ryan - angst filled to the last - screwed up and cheated on Craig. And Craig, hurt and angry, left their home before an apology or explanation could be given. Now each has returned to the diner in the hopes of running into the other, on this, the anniversary of their first meeting.
Director Charles Boyington has remounted After Dark with a great deal of attention to recreating its previous incarnation. He’s added just a few little changes as far as staging and music go, while keeping everything else from the stage to the look of the actors the same. The result makes for an experience that is kind of like visiting old friends and watching the interplay between them. While a greater amount of change might have been nice, the familiarity of this production simply adds to its overall charm.
Peter Wylie as Ryan and Michael Francis O’Connor as Craig heat up the stage as the men who fall in love. They seem to be enjoying playing the parts as much as the audience is enjoying watching them perform. For gay audiences, the play offers some wonderful campy dialogue and Ethel Merman references, while straight audience members get to see gay characters who are not tragic, stereotyped, or otherwise one-dimensional.
This year instead of watching a holiday movie, again, go see After Dark—again! You’ll be captivated by its simple and understated elegance.
For information about The Actor’s Theatre of Washington and their season, visit the web site at http://www.atwdc.org/
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