Review: TIME STANDS STILL at Dolphin Theatre

Reviewed by Glenda Pearce

TIME STANDS STILL

By Donald Margulies

"If it weren't for people like me ... the ones with cameras... Who would know? Who would care?'

Set in a modern New York City apartment, in contemporary time, TIME STANDS STILL powerfully presents an emotional thought-provoking conflict that draws us into a heartfelt story. After a life-threatening encounter with a roadside bomb in the Middle East, a severely scarred and injured photojournalist, Sarah Goodwin (Cassandra Woodhouse) returns to Brooklyn where she reunites with her reporter partner of eight years, James Dodd (Mike Daley) who had returned several weeks earlier after experiencing his own version of shell-shock. Visited by longtime friend and photo editor, Richard Ehrlich (Sam Iosefo), and his new, much younger girlfriend, Mandy Bloom, (Louisa Hutchinson), James and Sarah try to fit into a more normal "life at home" world.

Intelligently and meticulously directed by Zane Fleming, many layers unfold throughout this professional quality two-hour narrative. The opening minutes - sound effects in blackout effectively capture and convey the backstory - the horrors of modern day warfare - which alerts us to expect scars and wounds, emotional, psychological and physical. On lights up, we are immediately drawn into the disquiet. We are aware of the "jarring juxtaposition... of relative safety and comfort... and the horror taking place across the globe."(Margulies, 2010). Despite the best attempts of James and Sarah, this return to normality is an obvious struggle.

Although the play has only four characters, the immense scope of the world they live in is presented with detailed precision. This is reflected in the artistic, colourful, superbly crafted and creative set design (Zane Fleming, Geoff Evans, Cameron Brookes), which captures their unconventional natures. The cityscape is captured via a large circular window and interesting acting levels are created with the use of an elevated bedroom. Their work lives - the demands and high stakes nature of journalism and media - are clearly conveyed, and we can see the conflict unfolding early in the first act. Costumes (Robyn Fleming, Stephanie Hayes) and hairstyles are effectively employed to show the changing emotional and physical states of the characters. Makeup (Celeste Strewe) executes such superb scarring that the audience can be heard muttering, "That looks so real."

However, this is a much larger story than this apartment. Margulies (2010) says that he "didn't want to write an Iraq play, but I did want to tackle moral problems of our day, and set it not in the war itself but in the familiarity of the home front." This moral dilemma is effectively portrayed by the professional performances of all four actors - psychologically truthful and superbly captured with accented voices, detailed and well-motivated movement. The four are well matched and entirely convincing as friends. Superb pitch shifts and vocal variations unconsciously draw in the audience.

Cassandra Woodhouse is outstanding as she successfully conveys the painful struggle and anguish within Sarah's values and ideals. Mike Daley is superb as her devoted partner, James, wanting to settle into a married life with family. Effective shifts of momentum happen while old relationships and new ideas clash. This was done with lines of light ironic comedy and contrasting periods of compelling darkness. Even in moments of silence, the powerful performances of these two protagonists speak volumes. Young Mandy (Louisa Hutchinson) convincingly develops from a somewhat ingenuous" little girl" who is trying to hold her own with the journalists into a mother who has found her niche. She delivers the challenging viewpoints we might all express about the world of the media. She tells them to stop looking at the misery and to find the joy in life. Sam Iosefo's beautiful resonant tones help to shape the play's structure and are powerful as he communicates Richard's own desires and dilemmas.

Fleming clearly understands the power of music and employs it effectively. Musical interludes support scene changes and the song that plays in interval - "About Write", an original written for the show by Evangeline, keeps the focus of the constancy on the love between Sarah and James very vivid. However, it is the intense final scene with its song "One Last Time" (7Lions) that leaves us in that final theatrical catharsis. This is truly a top quality and professional production not to be missed.

Time Stands Still
Dolphin Theatre
12 Spring Street
Onehunga
26th April - 11th May
Bookings www.dolphintheatre.org.nz/bookings

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