APARTMENT 3A run dates: 3/28/2008 - 4/13/2008 Riverside Theatre, Iowa City ____________________________________________________________________________
Billed as a quirky comedy, APARTMENT 3A – written by actor Jeff Daniels – offers plenty of funny moments that are thoroughly entertaining. And, yes, this play definitely is a comedy.
But there is so much more than simple laughs to be enjoyed in this unusual little show about a public television fundraiser in Boston who is on the verge of giving up on relationships, viewers and everything else. It’s a deeply-felt exploration of how hope can wend its way into a dearth of faith and imagination, and APARTMENT 3A is infused with both disappointment and promise. Not a religious show at all, this play offers an element of spirit that is as thought-provoking as it is real.
In the opening scene, Annie (played with verve and stylish intensity by Elena Passarello) rents the titular apartment, and from that point on the scenes unfold as effortlessly as I’ve ever seen in a stage production. Daniels is, of course, the playwright who structured the script this way, but it is director Ron Clark and his cast who bring this seamless work to life. Transitions are subtle without ever being unclear, and Clark deserves major kudos for his restraint.
Passarello (though clad in perhaps the ugliest pair of flats in the history of fashion) is fantastic as Annie, offering a performance that is direct and emotional without ever being overdone. She breathes pure feeling into lines that call for them, and lets the nuances of facial expression and an occasional rasp in her voice interpret the lines for us. Her reaction to a neighbor who refuses to accept even the smallest of polite lies is particularly fine, and she also provides the subtle physical shtick needed in several scenes. Passarello is also exceptional in a few layered scenes – when she is experiencing something and simultaneously narrating a replay of it – that require true focus, and she makes this look as effortless as she does everything else. This is, simply put, a masterful performance.
Tim Budd is also excellent as Donald, the neighbor who misses his investment banker wife, and the friendship these two characters develop is genuinely sweet. Budd, whose Donald is often on the receiving end of the narration, does fabulously understated work that is exactly right, and I enjoyed his sketch-pad-laden mutterings immensely.
As Elliott, Annie’s longtime coworker, Jim Kropa is absolutely terrific. As a public television employee who enjoys certain nature documentaries and wears thick glasses, Elliott starts out as something of a stereotype, but Kropa belies that easy categorization with humor, simple faith and total intensity. As a not-so-secret admirer of Annie’s, Elliot adores her so sweetly that I’d fall in love with him in a heartbeat – and Kropa succeeds so fully in this role because he breathes full dimension into the gentle, absolutely adorable Elliott.
Scenic designer Benjamin T. Schmidt and lighting designer Steven Hunt create the environment for every scene in APARTMENT 3A, and they do so with the utmost (and most careful) simplicity. The nearly-bare stage is not the least bit stark, and the space is warmly-lit without being rosy. While the multi-layered swathing of Passarello is sometimes a bit strange, and probably unnecessary, the metaphor of gradual unveiling is quite apt, so costume designer Lindsey Robinson gets kudos for the thought that went into the work.
At least as good overall as each individual contribution, APARTMENT 3A is the best show I’ve seen this year – at least so far – and the few remaining performances can’t possibly seat even a decent percentage of the audience this production deserves. As fantastic as it is thoroughly satisfying, this APARTMENT 3A is a major success.
