B+
Keith Bunin’s (The Busy World Is Hushed, The Credeaux Canvas) clever, humane play at Lincoln Center Theater at the Mitzi Newhouse, takes place in the conditional. It deals with what might have happened if six passengers on the train between LA and Seattle had overcome their inhibitions and actually started to converse. The six are a diverse lot: Jane (Camila Cano-Flavia, Network), an animation artist who passes the time by sketching the other passengers; T.J. (Will Harrison, NY debut), a young Navy medic who doesn’t want to return to Afghanistan; Noah (Rhys Coiro, Dinner at Eight), a laid-back veteran who lives on a boat; Liz (Mia Barron, The Wolves), a hilariously unhinged woman fleeing a meltdown at a couples’ workshop; Ed (Jon Norman Schneider, The Oldest Boy), a beat-down salesman trying to find the hope to move on; and Anna (Michelle Wilson, Sweat), a black lesbian who has hidden the existence of her children’s uncle from them. All are vividly written and convincingly portrayed. The playwright explores how and whether they could have helped each other if only they had broken through to initiate a conversation. Arnulfo Moldonado’s (Power Strip) simple scenic design is well-complemented by 59 Productions’ projections (Flying Over Sunset). The costumes by Asta Bennie Hostetter (The Wolves) are suitable to each character. Tyne Rafaeli’s (Selling Kabul) direction is unfussy and assured. If you are looking for more action than talk, you may be disappointed, but if you want to get to know how these six people represent the human condition, you should find the play rewarding. Running time: 100 minutes, no intermission.
