BWW Reviews: SPT's THE LANGUAGE ARCHIVE Explores Love Beyond Words

For a show that is all about words and how to express them correctly, it sometimes feels that Julia Cho's "The Language Archive" could have done a little better expressing them efficiently. Occasionally the show tends to drone on and could have ended a few times. Fortunately the cast in Seattle Public Theater's production is so engaging that those droning moments dissipate quickly and what's left is an intriguingly sweet love story.

George (Mike Dooly) is a linguist, so his entire life is words. However he cannot seem to find the right ones to communicate with his wife Mary (Candace Vance). Then there's George's assistant Emma (Heather Persinger) who's in love with George but cannot find the words to tell him. Luckily Alta and Resten (Julia Jamieson and John Murray), an old couple who are the last two speakers of a dying language, are on hand to share their views on love. And whether in English or their native tongue the two manage to convey their message with crystal clarity.

The play itself is a sweet one. Like I said, it has a few moments where the message could be more concise but I guess that's kind of the central conceit of the story, finding the message. But clear or not, director Shana Bestock keeps the play clipping along and has assembled a wonderful cast who seem to have no problem with the message. Dooly, who's fast becoming one of my favorite actors in town, disappears into the role and conveys the sometimes oblivious George with a loveable subtlety. I've seen him in many things around town and many different types of roles and he always manages to dive into them in a very chameleonic way. Vance and Persinger are also very likable in their characters but didn't engage as much until act two when their respective characters found their way. And Jamieson and Murray are absolute delights from the instant they set foot on stage. Both not only brought a fantastic energy and comedy to the show but also a beautifully clear sense of purpose and commitment to the roles. And not just in the roles of the older couple but in the many various roles they assumed throughout the show.

All in all a lovely telling of a very sweet story. I can't say anything really blew my doors off about the piece but SPT has delivered a solid evening of theater from a not so well known play and turned in a very nice way to end their season.

"The Language Archive" performs at Seattle Public Theater through June 9th. For tickets or information contact the theater box office at 206-524-1300 or visit them online at www.seattlepublictheater.org.

Photo credit: Paul Bestock

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