The title of Don’t Wait for the Marlboro Man tells us not to wait even though the setting is a hospital waiting room. The intriguing drama by Olivier Garofalo is receiving its United States premiere from Upstream Theater in a superb production directed by Philip Boehm, who translated the play from the original German.
The first voice heard in the play belongs to Eric J. Conners. He provides stage directions but does not sound as if he is reading or reciting them. He tells us the woman coming in is named Sarah but adds we don’t know that yet. He furnishes alternatives for her footwear but then says it doesn’t matter. What matters is that Sarah’s waiting is interrupted, but no one answers her hello.
Is Conners’ character announcing or conjuring what is happening? Conners maintains the uncertainty with his rapt, deeply engaged delivery.
Sarah is in her early 30. She is at the hospital to learn the condition of her fiancé, who was in a motorcycle accident. A work project keeps her looking at her phone.
The man who appears later is 50-ish Pedro, who rides with the accident victim. Pedro dresses like a Marlboro man and is obsessed with ants.
The contrast between Sarah and Pedro is striking. I hesitate to say more about them and their friend in common because one of play’s great fascinations is piecing together the tidbits of information revealed in the halting conversation. Thoughts are frequently begun but not finished, as if the speaker is unsure how to proceed. Inferences must be made by both the characters and the audience.
The dialogue is an unchoreographed dance that is brilliantly executed by Caitlin Mickey as Sarah and Isaiah Di Lorenzo as Pedro. Their work is mesmerizing as flickers of meaning tantalize the audience.
Michele Friedman Siler’s costumes nail each character. An aptly inhospitable space is established by Mike Loui’s scenic design, Cece Entz’s properties, Steve Carmichael’s lighting, and Michael Musgrave-Perkins and Philip Boehm’s sound. The waiting room is surrounded by areas from which Conners’ character can survey the action. The program includes a helpful essay on ants by F. Thielecke.
Don’t Wait for the Marlboro Man continues through April 28 at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 North Grand Boulevard.
—Gerry Kowarsky
Photo by ProPhotoSTL
From the left, Isaiah Di Lorenzo (Pedro), Caitlin Mickey (Sarah), and Eric J. Conners (Stage Directions) in Don’t Wait for the Marlboro Man.
