Shooting Star (with Andrew May) @ Pittsburgh City Theatre 4/16/10

How neat! A play for and about folks of ‘a certain age’! But truly, anyone can enjoy it thoroughly, because it's one that depends on language to tell the story. The only four-letter word you’ll hear here—more than once, that is—is love.

As college students, Reed and Elena lived and loved together during the 70s. For various reasons, the relationship broke up, and each went their separate ways. Now, however, while Elena stayed rather true to her ‘hippie’ roots during the ensuing years, Reed has become the poster boy for ‘Mr. Corporate American’. When the two end up in the same waiting alcove at an airport, thanks to the ‘blizzard of the century’ they have no trouble identifying each other, and picking up right where they left off, all those years ago. It’s a different world, they’re each going in different directions, but of course, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

In Shooting Star an almost-new play by Texas professor Steven Dietz which opened Friday night at Pittsburgh’s City Theatre, former Clevelander Andrew May is wonderful as the buttoned-down Reed, but current Pittsburgher Laurie Klatscher is every bit his equal as the free-spirited Elena. Director Tracy Brigden sets a brisk pace, which allows the nearly constant barrage of one-liners to seem like the actors are actually living the roles they’re in, flinging conversational darts back and forth at each other, instead of merely repeating lines they’ve memorized. Still, there is space for them—and us—to pause, or breathe. The velocity is NOT that of a constant whirlwind, after all.

The thrust stage, surrounded on three sides by a total of 112 seats, features a set by Tony Ferrieri that is so realistic you keep glancing around to be sure you’re not really at an airport. Myriad small details don’t always make themselves visible immediately – other than the required large window through which cooped-up passengers are allowed a close-up view of the weather that is keeping them earth-bound. Ange Vesco’s costumes (especially those for the perpetual-flower-child Elena) were obviously just reclaimed from someone’s time-capsule, so authentic is their appearance. Sound by Brad Peterson is terrific—not too loud! Whether it’s the musical sound-track of 70s hits or the taped airport announcements—they’re all right on! Allen Hahn’s lighting is wonderfully evocative, moving with subtlety from daylight to midnight, or busy airport to one powered down for the duration of the storm.

But overall, the triumph belongs to the words: their creator and the interpreters of them. Reed and Elena dissect the past while reconstructing the future, enlivened by poignant memories and tart statements. We learn that Reed is married with a daughter, but his wife has a boyfriend. Elena is still single but has a teen-aged daughter she’d never seen until very recently. They learn that life was not as it seemed for either of them in the 70s, nor is it now.

The two actors talk not only to each other, but also to the audience, sharing bits of their past history or explanations for things that went awry. In other hands, this device can be divisive, but somehow here it all works well. It may also contribute to the fast pace of the play, which is one act, without intermission, lasting not quite 90 minutes. But these are totally charming and interesting and very enjoyable minutes that fly by, even as Reed and Elena are grounded at the un-named airport.

Shooting Star continues at the Pittsburgh City Theatre through May 16. City Theatre is on the near South Side, in the midst of a very with-it community. There are numerous eating places within easy walking distance of the theatre, making for a great experience. There are matinees on Saturday and Sunday, making it possible to do a one-day trip, if that better suits your schedule.

Tickets are available through 412.431.CITY (2489) or the web-site:http://www.CityTheatreCompany.org.

From Cool Cleveland contributor Kelly Ferjutz, who writes: My most recently published book is Ardenwycke Unveiled (e-book and trade paper). Cerridwen has another contemporary romance from me, But Not For Love, currently available only as an e-book, but perhaps will be in print later this year. I hope to soon get around to completing some of the 30+ incomplete books in my computer!

By the way, Cerridwen has also accepted two of my short stories in their Scintillating Samples (complimentary reads) area: Song of the Swan and Unexpected Comfort. I love photography as well, as you can see here. Occasionally I teach writing workshops and sometimes do editing or ghostwriting on a free-lance basis. But over and above everything else, there's always been the writing. I can't imagine my life without it.