Thoughts on The Layover

Boy, it feels like forever since I've seen a show.  I know, I know, it's only been a little over a week, but I like to exaggerate. Actually, I had forgotten about last Saturday's matinee. Second Stage Theatre sent me a survey awhile back, and after I filled it out, they kindly gave me a steep discount for their new mainstage show, The Layover.  I've heard about this playwright for quite some time, so I was happy to take advantage of the discount.  Of course, the weather was beastly last Saturday, so it did cross my mind to just skip the show and stay in my air conditioned-Olympic-watching comfort, but I finally got my lazy self out of the apartment and to midtown.  

Thankfully, the subways to and from the theater were air conditioned, unlike earlier last week, when I took the day off to help a friend and the subway cars were packed to the gills and NOT air conditioned.  There are few ways to ruin a day quicker than riding a subway car with no air conditioning.  I'm afraid since my surgery I simply can't tolerate extreme heat and humidity very well.  But seeing an interesting play (or helping a dear friend) can snap me out of my self-pity pretty quickly.  :)

Since the show is still early in previews, I'm sure they're still making changes, so I'll only offer a few thoughts: I didn't know anything about The Layover, so I took a look at the blurb on Second Stage's website before leaving my apartment -  Ever wonder who that stranger is sitting next to you? What is their story? What are they hiding? Shellie and Dex dare to answer these questions after their flight is delayed on a snowy Thanksgiving night. What they discover about themselves, and each other, sends both of their lives into upheaval. A psychological drama from the darkly funny writer of Bachelorette, The Layover asks the question: Can you ever really get to know somebody when you're hiding so much yourself? 

OK, that sounded interesting.  But it didn't really prepare me for the roller coaster ride of The Layover.  First it seemed like a romantic comedy, then a battle of the sexes, then something vaguely sinister or creepy or violent.  Then back again.  It kept me on my toes and I never knew what was coming next.  My brain was whirling a million miles a minute while I was watching (in a good way, it's not as if I was thinking about other things, just about all the possibilities presented in the play!), and I appreciated the myriad of emotions that were happening to me.  I just felt vaguely off-kilter throughout, which I guess reflects what was happening onstage throughout...

photo credit:  Zachary Maxwell Stertz

We first meet Shellie and Dex on a plane that seems to be delayed on Thanksgiving; we see the first anonymous-seeming flirtations, then as they run into each other after deplaning, I began to wonder if something else was afoot.  Once the characters started talking about noir, thrillers, and Patricia Highsmith, my anxiety level began to escalate.  I was tense and nervous throughout, though often only because of where my mind was going and not where the play actually was (if that makes sense).  Each character and each situation really triggered a strong response in me, and with each change of situation and change of power structure, another strong response would take over.  So, in a very intellectual way, I was stimulated by the play, but maybe a little outside the play, too, because I was commenting to myself on what was happening to me.

Anyway, I was really taken with the characters, the situations in which they found themselves and I was completely gobsmacked by the ending.  The acting was fantastic, and I also really liked the set and sound design.  I was rather breathless when it all ended, and I was really trying to replay certain scenes from the beginning of the play to see if there had been any real clues that this was where we'd end up - as I was gathering my thoughts, I heard the house manager say there would be a talkback with the playwright and director a few minutes after the play ended.  Woo hoo!  I love a talkback and thought it would be especially helpful for this play.

I enjoyed the talkback quite a lot - the playwright and the director spoke so intelligently about the play and confirmed some of my suspicions, and refuted others.  The questions from the audience were actually pretty smart (sometimes the audience questions can be embarrassing), though many of them said they figured out what would happen at the end before we got there, so I wonder why I didn't figure it out.  The playwright seemed genuinely delighted by all of the questions and how engaged and interested the audience was in her play, so that was fun.  All in all, it was a grand afternoon, and even with battling the heat to and from the theater, I'm really glad I went to see The Layover.  I don't think I've seen anything quite like it.  I'm thinking I may have to go back to try to see inside the structure, now that I know what's going to happen.  And I just saw a press release that one of the playwright's earlier works is going to be revived this fall, so I just may check that out, too.  Maybe you should, too!