Arrival & Departure

Reviewed by Julia Stier
The Fountain Theatre 
Through September 30

What if you meet your soulmate a little too late? A chance encounter turns into a crisis of love for two strangers in playwright/director Stephen Sachs’ Arrival & Departure. Inspired by the screenplay for Noël Coward’s Brief Encounter, Arrival & Departure is now having its world premiere at The Fountain Theatre.

Amidst the dirt and dust of the New York subway, Emily (Deanne Bray), who is hard of hearing, and Sam (Troy Kotsur), who is deaf, meet for the first time. Sam is goofy, Emily a little aloof, —and both are married to other people. When they start meeting for coffee every Thursday, followed by walks in the park, their feelings develop from cordial to something a lot stronger. Meanwhile, one of the subway’s security guards, Russell (Shon Fuller), is attempting to woo Mya (Jessica Jade Andres), a feisty, half-Filipina food worker. And Emily’s young daughter Jule (Aurelia Myers) is dealing with self-identity issues and the need to feel wanted while flirting with a stranger over the internet.

It’s no surprise that Bray and Kotsur have such great chemistry onstage since these two engaging actors are actually married. Fuller is endearing as the lovesick Russell, and Andres brings heart to the tough-as-nails character of Mya. Brian Robert Burns energetically plays Emily’s religious zealot of a husband Doug, and Myers excellently conveys the frustrations of surviving middle school.

This opportunity to experience a mainstream, theatrical performance that features American Sign Language so prominently is a rare treat. Adam Burch and Stasha Surdyke interpret for Kotsur and Bray respectively, and captioning is presented during non-signed scenes, making Arrival & Departure one of the few shows completely inclusive of deaf, hard of hearing and hearing audience members alike.

The multimedia set (set by Matthew G. Hill, video design by Nicholas E. Santiago) beautifully combines film and stage elements to create the busy New York streets, parks, and subway stations.

The Fountain Theatre, 5060 Fountain Ave., Los Angeles; Fridays, Saturdays, and Mondays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m.; through September 30. www.fountaintheatre.com/event/arrival-departure/. Running time: 90 minutes.