Theater Review by Ron Fassler . . .
David Cromer is one of the most in-demand directors in the theatre. With his choice of projects his for the asking, when a play arrives with his name attached you know, more often than not, it’s going to be a quality piece of material. Since making his New York debut in 2005 with Austin Pendleton’s Orson’s Shadow, he’s directed close to twenty productions on and off-Broadway, many of which I’ve had the pleasure of seeing. Among them have been such highlights as his brilliant take on Our Town (2009) and his Tony Award-winning direction of The Band’s Visit (2017). His winning streak continues with the Roundabout Theatre’s production of The Counter, a new work from playwright Meghan Kennedy, whose Too Much, Too Much, Too Many (2013) and Napoli, Brooklyn (2017) were also produced by Roundabout. With a trio of actors performing on one set, The Counter is a likely candidate to soon be among the most produced plays in America, once regional theaters get their hands on it.
Kennedy has created a premise of two lost souls who share some quiet time every morning at a local diner in a small (and very cold) nameless town in a nameless state. One is Katie (Susannah Flood), a waitress in her mid-thirties in a state of stasis; the other is Paul (Anthony Edwards), a retired firefighter about twenty years her senior, who is in a state of existential crisis. An insomniac, Paul is the first customer in the diner whom she greets each morning with a hot cup of coffee. Paul’s conversations with Katie are the highlight of his day, which sadly for him, is as good as his day is going to get. This depressing setup is enlivened by Kennedy’s smart dialogue in which neither Katie nor Paul impart any more wisdom than you might expect from them. They’re not folksy, they’re real. And their connection doesn’t fall into the easy (or lazy) trap that a good many playwrights often lay victim to. It’s complicated and interesting, enlivened by one scene late in the 75-minute drama where a third character, Peg (Amy Warren) is introduced. She’s a local doctor (married) with whom Paul has had a secret affair. Secrets are paramount to the confessional nature of much of the dialogue and again credit to both Kennedy and Cromer for keeping it at a consistent level of craftsmanship so as not to test our credulity.
Susannah Flood as Katie is a marvel of twisted emotions. She makes us feel like this is a woman who has to work for a living and for whom living isn’t an easy chore. Her walls are up and in Paul, she’s met her match since he is insistent upon breaking them down. Of course, Paul has his own walls to deal with that sends Katie on a bit of a mission to find a chink in his armor. It’s all played out in a non-rushed but emphatic manner. Flood’s Katie—a joy of jangled nerves—centers the core of the play effortlessly. Edwards has the tougher assignment, playing a character who vacillates between low lows and high highs. Having seen him in prior plays, this is the most impressed I’ve been by his stage performances—a perfect blend of actor and role. The small, but important third character, is in the confident hands of Amy Warren who lands significantly in the part of Peg. A brief moment’s connection with Edwards that happens wordlessly late in the play is something I won’t soon forget for its poignance.
The scenic design by Walt Spangler is cramped and perfect, costumes by Sarah Laux work wonders, as does the lighting by Stacey Derosier. Simplicity rules and again, Cromer’s simple and wonderful work with his actors keeps the play moving with no tricks up his sleeve. What you see is what you get. And what’s wrong with that?
The Counter is playing at the Laurel Pels Theater at the Miriam and Steinberg Center, 111 W. 46th Street, NYC. For ticket information, please visit: https://www.roundabouttheatre.org
Photos by Joan Marcus.
Headline photo Susannah Flood and Anthony Edwards in Roundabout Theatre Company’s The Counter.
