Nick Payne's gripping mind-bending romance has brought it's wit, wisdom and wild ideas from England to Texas. The two person duo of Alex Organ and Allison Pistorius engulf themselves in the commanding roles. Our Gadi Elkon is a huge fan of DTC's CONSTELLATIONS Directed By Wendy Dann. Click through for his full review.
The expansive multi-layered loverse Nick Payne has weaved together in Constellations is an actor's dream. Organ and Pistorius tackle their 50 plus scenes seem incredibly daunting and tedious. But with each layer unveiling the audience's awareness becomes profound. You are fully committed to these striking figures who jump from reality to reality. It's a compact setting of a story that is completely open even to the full reaches of our universe…and possible universes.
When a theoretical physicist and a beekeeper meet, their spellbinding, romantic journey breaks the boundaries of the space-time continuum. Selected by the New York Times as one of the 10 Best Plays of 2015, Constellations will have the audience swimming in a sea of infinite possibilities. But you won’t need to be an expert in String Theory to fall in love with this wildly entertaining, gripping drama that confronts the difference between choice and destiny.
Our theater-in-the-round setting is simple on first glanced, but so detailed and surprising that it becomes it's own character. The broad elements of the script are perfectly connected to the overhanging orbs that are constant reminders of the literal title of the play. We now this is meant to be a BIG UNIVERSAL story, but in the hands of our two talented actors it becomes an intimate glimpse through a lifetime. The issues of memory loss in the film are easily the most profound dramatic elements. Pistorious' difficult repetition throughout becomes more and more impacting as we understand what is slowly tearing her apart. A special note of the one incredibly amazing scene that involves sign language. The mirroring from scene to scene is on full effect in that particular sequence and it is completely captivating. I didn't want to blink but the emotion forced the tears to flow. Overall one of the most powerful scenes of the entire play. Speaking of special notes, Original Music Sound Designer Ryan Rumery is the major "difference" from all other productions of Nick's Constellations. Ryan created multiple songs, dance sequences and sound effects that help add to the overall mind-blowing elements of the play. His touch is felt throughout and was a real highlight of the play.
Nick Payne's material is not fluffy and cheesy. His look at love is intelligent, gripping and heartbreaking. Whether you are madly in love, yearning to break free of love, morning lost love or just oblivious it's hard for me to imagine anyone not enjoying this moving production. Constellations has a lengthy stay at DTC's WYLY THEATRE as it runs through October 9th.
