rOcKS @ 'Fault Lines'

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 11/3/08 at 11:07pm

I saw the Off-Broadway production of Stephen Belber's new play FAULT LINES and after seeing some pretty "blah" theater over the past few weeks, I was impressed by this faulty yet valiant theatrical effort.

It's hard to summarize because there's so much more to it than the description provided by most theater sites but I still don't want to give away any of the smart plot twists. Basically, it's about two friends who have known each other forever and have kind of drifted apart over the years. They reunite in the back room of a bar in their town and what starts as an amiable get-together suddenly turns darkly deceptive and primally scary with the appearance of a stranger who begins to uncover secrets about both of the friends' lives.

The show is a breezy 80 minutes (it felt even shorter) and it's so incredibly raw and emotionally startling. Belber has really written a tight, clever, tricky, text that feels so real it's almost hard to watch at points. For the first time in a very long time, I was totally engrossed by the piece because of how truly real it all felt. All of the characters' objects at stake are startlingly effective because the text is really organic and feels very real and raw. Sure there are points of the play that seem to go on for a little too long and there are few moments that are a bit pointless and almost too verbose but they are few and far between. This is a really strong effort worth taking note of and definitely worth recognizing. Belber has great potential and it shines through in this piece.

The best aspect of the production are, undoubtedly, the performances. There are four people in the cast. Josh Lucas, Noah Emmerick, Dominic Fumusa, and Jennifer Mudge. All four simply could not be better. Lucas is a much better stage actor than film actor...his work here is touching and brave. The monologue he spews at the end of the show is breathtaking. Emmerick is hilarious but does a phenomenal job of also emoting a kind of awkwardness that really makes you realize that his character has a lot more going on than he claims. Fumusa is also fantastic, handling what is arguably the most difficult role on the show with an ease and agility that is truly astounding. And Mudge, the only female in the cast, does a great job with a somewhat thankless role. She made a strong, credible impression with much less stage time than any of the men in the show.

The set is intimate and adds a deeper level of reality to the show (one of the pool balls flew off the stage and almost whacked someone in the audience this evening) and the direction by FRIENDS' David Schwimmer is almost unnoticeable. Which is the highest compliment I can pay him. Not a moment staging-wise rings false.

The twists in the text are apparently hotly debated. Some either love them or hate them. I, for one, thought they were extremely smart and didn't feel cheated at all. They added layers to the play that truly left me almost in tears because of how I really felt for these characters and cared for them.

The show isn't perfect, obviously, but as I said before, amongst the muck and "ehhh"-ness that I've caught both on and off Broadway in the last few weeks, this is a standout. It's definitely worth seeing, especially because it closes on Sunday. It's not brilliant theater but it has it's moments of brilliance (although they are fleeting) and it gives me hope for the craft of playwriting as far as straight plays go. I really enjoyed it.

B+
*** out of ****