It’s 4 a.m. Two strangers are travelling on a San Francisco rapid transit train, and both are doing the New York Times crossword puzzle.
He gets stuck and wants to give up. She considers this tantamount to declaring failure, since her belief is that crosswords are a metaphor for life.
As expected, the two opposites (He: A free-spirited former ad exec, She: An uptight psychologist) first clash, and then sparks of attraction fly.
So what’s an eight-letter word to describe Central Alberta Theatre’s latest relationship comedy, 2 Across, which opened on Thursday night at the Nickle Studio, upstairs at the Memorial Centre?
Pleasant fits perfectly.
This witty, light-hearted play by M*A*S*H and All In the Family writer Jerry Mayer offers a nice diversion and is a pleasing way to spend a couple of hours.
And that’s saying something, since director Erna Soderberg took a big gamble staging a two-actor production that runs in real time — all of the action takes place in one train car that’s travelling from the San Francisco airport to Bay Point Station.
Since the audience’s entire attention is focused on verbal exchanges between the two, the play lives or dies by the performances and whether enough electricity is generated by the two actors.
To that end, the preview seen on Wednesday was a qualified success.
CAT veteran Deb O’Brien pulls off her best, most subtly shaded role yet as a woman who finds it hard to live outside the box. The play-by-the-rules psychologist feels that even a library book must always be returned on time, because paying the late fee would be cheating those on the waiting list.
Anyone who caught O’Brien’s last portrayal of a similar character in The Christmas Tree knows she can play uptight.
But in 2 Across, the actor also depicts a quiet vulnerability that softens her character’s judgmental streak and makes her all too relatable.
The play’s most moving moment is when the psychologist, who has argued with her 18-year-old son, tries to make amends in a one-sided phone conversation that could bring a tear to any mother’s eye.
Derek Olinek, another CAT veteran, brings perhaps too much frenetic charm to the laid-back former ad exec.
His in-your-face first appearance on the train would frankly be a little alarming — especially to a woman who’s the only other passenger.
But Olinek’s oversized portrayal warms and has more real moments by the second half — when his ad exec helps the psychiatrist deal with her son and makes it apparent that he wants to see more of her.
Both are wearing wedding rings — which presents a wrinkle that is, maybe, settled a little too conveniently by the playwright.
O’Brien and Olinek have an easy rapport, but could stand to heat things up between their characters by taking more uneasy pauses and make more eye contact as feelings turn romantic.
In telling this story of two opposites that attract, 2 Across manages in a quietly humorous way to highlight some of life’s truths. Most notably: Connections between people can happen in the least expected moments; And all of us could stand to rethink our views when confronted with someone who thinks differently.
This story of two strangers on a train would not have been possible without set designer Stuart Reid creating a highly inventive rail car. Kudos also to sound and lighting designers, William Ladic and Terry Truckle, for helping us believe the journey.
2 Across continues to Oct. 21.
lmichelin@www.reddeeradvocate.com