Emma Carissa Chase and Julia Stier (Photo courtesy of Rotation Theatre Company)
Reviewed by Odalys Nanin
Rotation Theater Company at The Whitmore Theatre
Through March 9
Falling in love and the perils that follow are numerous yet we take the plunge ignoring all the red flags along the way. It is in the human spirit to seek a new adventure driven by one thing only, which the French call le je ne sais quoi. The “I don’t know what” but he/she pulls me and I follow like a blind person leading the blind.
Lindsay Jane’s multifaceted play, The Thought of Us, explores not the falling but the intense grief following the falling out. Jane, who also plays the lead Hayden, has an object of desire, Liam (George Vagujhely). This attraction delivers a plethora of emotions that ring true throughout the play. Liam is in a four year relationship with Corrie (Abby Rowland), which she approaches with subtle care as she fights to keep her man by her side. Some time in the past, during a four month period, Liam and Hayden met and fell in love. However, due to Liam’s current relationship, he decides to stay with Corrie and throws Hayden out, breaking her heart.
Present time: a coffee shop where Hayden is hanging out with her best friends, Andie and Noah (Emma Carissa Chase and Julia Stier, respectively) who are together in a loving lesbian relationship and planning their engagement party. Hayden is presently in a relationship with Mitch (convincingly played by Davyd Markovich). Everything seems to go well until Hayden receives a text from Liam.
The set (ingeniously designed by Peta McKenna) is one of the most interesting things in this play. It consists of a suspended ceiling with clouds, different small boxes containing text messages that are illuminated each time a character receives one. Via such texting, Liam and Hayden reconnect; it seems that they have not ceased to think about each other. Liam seeks her out by once a week showing up at the coffee shop with hopes of seeing her. The texts go back and forth between them, creating doubt and confusion that affect their current relationships.
Oscar Wilde once said, “We kill the thing we love the most.” Hayden’s constant thoughts of what could have been with Liam wakes her up, creating a distance from Mitch. Liam’s remorse of the way he treated Hayden haunts him too. Andie decides to invite Liam to her engagement party not thinking through the consequences of this invitation. The comedy relief is their friend Ezra (Justin White, with flare and comedic timing).
The play could use some humor. Even though the story is interesting, the pacing is slowed down by the constant setup of large cube boxes before each scene.
Will true love prevail? Hayden shows up at Liam’s door. They express their unresolved pain to each other as they seem finally to emotionally connect. We anxiously wait … They finally kiss passionately before Hayden runs out, leaving us to wonder whether grief has prevailed over love.
The Whitmore Theatre, 11006 Magnolia Blvd., North Hollywood. Opens Fri., Feb. 21; Fri.-Sat., 8 pm, Sun., 3 pm; thru March 9. (818) 761-0704. Running time: Two hours
