2 Across, 1 Down

On Friday last, we saw Donna Garner and Sean Elliott in Showboat Theatre’s production of 2 Across.  Sean played a somewhat secretive man whose life has not turned out just as he might have wished and Donna took on the persona of the career woman whose perfect appearance belies her less-than-successful personal life.

They meet on the subway in the middle of the night and the  ride lasts the whole play.  Interesting setting, that.  First I’d never get on the subway, alone, at that time and, second, I’m pretty sure others would still be coming and going.  Setting those details aside, however, was pretty easy.  The characters took us right along with them and pretty soon we were buying into the whole scenario and even caring about the two.

Of course, I wondered if there would be something romantic to come out of all this and there is, but the most interesting thing was the development of the characters.  Each loosened up and let out their true personality as the play progressed, carrying the audience right along with them.

The Showboat Theatre in Port Colborne is theatre in the round, a fact which was interesting but a little annoying.  I wanted to see the faces, not just when the characters turned my way, but all the time.  And seeing the faces always adds an extra layer of icing to the words of the script.  My theatre partner was not enamored with the format at all.  I wonder, though, if it made us pay just a little closer attention, and get just a little bigger thrill when we did see Donna’s winning smile or Sean’s quizzical look.

Whatever your preference, you will enjoy this rendition of an amusing but not amazing script.  Oh, and eat at the Italian restaurant, San Marco’s, beforehand.  It was fabulous.