WHAT: Constellations
WHERE: The Rep Studio Theatre
BLURB: Get a Peek at a New Space!
HIGH POINT: Truly Smart Performances
Theater enthusiasts rejoice. There's a new venue in town, and "Constellations," its inaugural production, is now on stage.
First, to the play.
Seacoast Rep has chosen Constellations for the maiden voyage.
Performance and direction-wise, the production is a great first run, in fact it's a case of actors and director doing the heavy lifting for the script.
Constellations, a 90-minute one-act, has a unique structure and concept. Time as we know it is suspended, as the relationship between Roland, (Jamie Bradley) a beekeeper, and Marianne (Jennifer Sue Rockwell) a physicist unfolds, and is examined from a multitude of universes and possibilities.
Each scene of their relationship is on repeat. Often the conversation is exact or close to the original, but the subsequent rewind brings a new intent and outcome to the moment.
The idea is intriguing and so is the storyline - initially. As it proceeds some conversation sequences feel weighty and slow. Still, thanks to the outstanding performances by Rockwell and Bradley, the piece keeps you engaged, even through the occasional tedious passage.
Rockwell and Bradley's portrayals are a masterclass in performing; it's the how-to for manipulating the intent of a word or phrase with a shift in intonation, body language and facial gesture.
The two move flawlessly through the same conversations, and an incredible range of emotions.
As you get to know the couple's different paths, you find yourself increasingly invested in them, and therefore their outcome. You're in for the ride, hoping for the change that brings a better, sweeter or more exciting outcome.
Kudos to Director Joshua LaPierre for keeping the movement interesting on the sparsely set stage, and for the characters' strong development.
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