Theater Review: Wide Awake Hearts Fails To Add Layers To Relationship Queries
Wide Awake Hearts, created by Blindspot writer Brendan Gall, is interesting in ideas, but not in execution. Despite its witty punch-lines and curiously “low-key” set, the play falters in excitement. Any amount of attention the audience could have for these characters’ lives, unfortunately, dwindles into occasional.
Though Wide Awake Hearts makes eccentric, cool choices, like adding dark videography, to confuse the audience into what is real and what is not, by the end of the show, you don’t exactly care. The play is set in the making and production of a film about a couple that is having an affair, which the actors of the film are actually having. The characters have no name and are only referenced in the playbill by a letter, which is a fanciful twist to the audience’s relationship with the characters. The character of “A” is the acclaimed writer and producer of the film, who has cast his wife, “B”, and his best friend, “C”, to play the lead couple of the movie in reflection to the affair he believes they have been having. The idea that a writer would write a play about his wife’s affair and then cast her in it and have her play it out in front of him is intriguingly sick in thought and drives the plays drama. Yet, despite efforts, the main saving grace to what becomes tiring turmoil is actor Ben Cole, whom plays A.
Cole is dynamic every second he is on the stage and is the guiding force of this drama. Cole perfectly plays the devastated vulnerability of “A” to make the audience feel, that although he is a mean and self-centered man, he does not deserve to be cheated on by his wife and best friend. Moreover, his performance is the clearest in action and motivation, in part, because it is the most layered character. Hence, it dominates the other actors, whom play his or her character well, but do not shine until their monologues. Clea Aslip, B, does not show much of her range until her heartbreaking monologue over the panic her dreams give her, and Tony Naumovski, C, is not a strong character presence until his “confession-type” monologue that will leave you chilled. While, Maren Bush, D, certainly gets the most intelligent laughs, as her character’s wry wit helps to lighten the plays broody mood. Still, despite these powerful monologues and some really smart jokes, Wide Awake Hearts regrettably misses its own power to be great.
There is no doubt that Wide Awake Hearts is well-written and director Stefan Dzeparoski truly wants to build a suspenseful drama that blurs the line between reality and film, but intention does not match action. Although the play is fast in pace and dialogue, its desire to be vast in meaning or profound in theme makes it appear slow. It is as if every character is speaking quickly and cleverly in words about this affair, but no one is insightful in thought or human analysis. By the end of it, the audience simply concludes, through obviousness but not concern, that having an affair can hurt others. Sadly, though it is clear this play wants to make the audience wonder over the portrayal of an affair on film versus the reality of one, it adds no new depth to this topic.
Running Time: 90 minutes with no intermission.
Wide Awake Hearts is currently playing through February 7, 2016, at 59E59 Theaters located at 59 E 59th St, New York City. For more information and tickets, click here.
