by Alan Jozwiak
Being forced to face the consequences of the choices you’ve made in life can be a daunting prospect. It can lead to confusion and frustration, while simultaneously providing the opportunity to engage in honest self-reflection.
Exploring how different choices define behavior and action is the basic premise of Falcon Theatre’s world premiere production of During/After, opening this weekend for a limited two-weekend run.
The Story
Local playwright Wendy Vogel has written a Twilight Zone-esque script where three men—ex-addict Aaron (Ryan Bowron), construction worker Nate (Tristan Pianovski), and ER Physician James (Bill Keeton) tell the story of their lives through the choices they have made to two investigative interrogators–the experienced Eden (Samantha Joy Weil) and first-timer Lucas (Rick Grant).
As the play progresses, we see how the lives of these men intertwine in surprising, startling, and unusual ways. I cannot give much more of a description of the plot for fear of spoilers.
Direction
Under the direction of Ed Cohen, we get to know and sympathize with the plight of each of the three men who deal with everything from verbally and physically abusive family members, missed opportunities, drug addiction, incarceration, and more. This script is unflinching in its exploration of the evil that men do and we get a good cross-sampling of the failures of these men to navigate the trials and tribulations of their lives.
All of this is a tall order and Cohen makes the audience sympathize with the plight of these men. Different audience members may identify more strongly with one of the men more than others. I tend to have more sympathy for Ryan Bowron’s Aaron, since his experiences remind me of the stories I’ve heard from my students over the years.
In his zeal to portray the raw emotional terrain of the script, Cohen extends for too long a verbally abusive scene close to the end of Act I. As an audience member, seeing that scene became too much. There is a fine line between depicting raw reality and shoving that reality too much into an audience’s face and I feel this particular scene needs to be toned down for a better effect.
The Cast
Cohen assembles an amazing cast to depict these men and those who are probing their choices. Samantha Joy Weil and Rick Grant are very strong in their respective roles. They show their acting chops by assuming the roles of half a dozen or more different characters who interact with the lives of these men. Each act deftly flips in and out of these roles effortlessly in an almost tour de force performance.
Each of the three men are also portrayed by strong actors. Ryan Bowron is a standout as the ex-addict Aaron, whose story is compellingly portrayed by his honest delivery of the lines. I honestly felt his character’s regrets, resolutions, and repentance. NKU acting student Tristan Pianovski is also strong in portraying Nate. He is able to show the vulnerability of his character in the face of overwhelming verbal abuse. Finally, Bill Keeton delivers a compelling performance as James, who beautifully demonstrates the walking wounded nature of someone trying to handle loss.
As a world premiere, During/After is on stage for the first time and is often the case with world premieres, this play needs trimming. It plods along at a very slow burn for most of act one, which demands a lot from its audience. Combining both acts into one and shooting for the 1 hour and 30 to 40 mark (each act currently runs about an hour long) might make for a better journey for the audience.
Conclusion
In short, During/After is a well-acted play with a script which is still getting legs. I saw a powerful staged reading of another play by Vogel a few weeks ago, so I am confident that the playwright will take the lessons learned from this production and create an even-stronger script when it receives its next production.
Tickets to During/After
During/After runs for two weekends at Falcon Theatre, Newport, KY, April 4-12, 2025. For tickets, click here.
Also, a special shout-out to Lynn K., my number-one fan and groupie, who religiously reads my reviews and is an avid Falcon Theatre fan. Keep on supporting live theatre in Greater Cincinnati! We need more people like you.
Trigger warning: This play contains scenes of extreme verbal abuse, as well as discussions of suicide, death, and school shootings.
