NEW YORK—Rekindling an old flame later in life can bring great joy as long as those involved can come to terms with the past. This idea is the focus of Lia Romeo’s two-character drama “Still,” presented by Colt Coeur at Off-Broadway’s DR2 Theatre.
Sixty-somethings Helen (Jayne Atkinson) and Mark (Tim Daly) were very much in love in their younger days. It was a relationship that ended over 30 years ago due to the two being at different points in their lives and wanting different things. Since that time, Helen has gone on to become a respected writer, while Mark has had a successful career as a lawyer. While they have remained friends since the breakup, their meeting for dinner, at the hotel where Mark is staying while in town on business, is the first time they have seen each other in decades.
As Helen and Mark share the latest news and gossip, along with the various physical ailments that occur when one ages, it is clear each still has strong feelings for the other—exacerbated by the fact this is the first time since their breakup that both are “free agents.” Helen is not currently in a relationship, and a life-changing event led Mark to divorce his wife after 29 years of marriage.
As their talk becomes more serious, and intimate, it becomes clear that still-unresolved issues between the two stand in the way of whatever they feel becoming a lasting relationship. Mark is contemplating a run for Congress as a Republican, an announcement which causes the more liberal Helen to first react with disbelief and then anger as she wonders if Mark’s asking to meet was an excuse for an ulterior motive regarding the true reason they broke up. Through a series of verbal jousts on various social and political topics, it becomes clear Helen has a secret of her own regarding what happened back then, with neither still fully able to move on from it.
What makes this simple play worth seeing are the bravura performances by Ms. Atkinson and Mr. Daly, who make the audience genuinely care about their characters and what happens to them. It also helps that the actors have great chemistry together, especially in a scene where comparisons of their various physical imperfections, such as scars, spare tires, and arthritis takes a romantic turn.
Ms. Atkinson perfectly embodies a woman who has lived her life on her own terms and makes no apologies for it, though she apparently has never had anything approaching a long-term relationship since Mark. She also has more than a bit of naivete when it comes to people she used to know and how her perceptions of them might not be always correct.
Mr. Daly gives an impressive performance as a man having a mid-life crisis while hoping to find a new purpose in life, and also looking to reconnect with the one person who has truly made him feel emotionally complete.
Direction by Adrienne Campbell-Holt is sure-handed, never permitting the interactions between the characters to drag, while also allowing an underlying element of tension to grow throughout.
Showing how all decisions have consequences, with communication the key to any lasting relationship, “Still” allows two veteran actors a chance to shine as their characters wonder if there is still something strong enough between them to make it worth fighting for.
