By Michael Buzzelli
A charming beekeeper, Roland (Ethan Davis Butler), and a brilliant cosmologist, Marianne (Rebekah Hukill), grapple with love and death in a multitude of iterations in Nick Payne’s “Constellations.”
If you’ve been to a Marvel movie, you know that the term “multiverse” has been thrown around in media way too much lately, but the concept began with the ancient Greek Atomists, such as Leucippus, Democritus, Epicurus (father of hedonism), Lucretius and Chrysippus.
The Atomists believed that there is a new path for every decision we didn’t make. Simply stated, that in another universe, Robert Frost took the other road that they diverged in that yellow wood, and it presumably made a difference. It’s the reason why Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland can all be different versions of the same Spider-Man.
Instead of Fate vs. Free Will, it’s more Free Will is Fate, because we are on the path where we made the decisions that put us on this path.
Confused?
Picture the improv game, “New Choice.” In that game an actor or improviser will say a line, “Can I pet your dog?” They will then bend over and pet the imaginary dog. The Gamemaster will yell out, “New Choice!” The actor must then say something else, such as “Can I pet your giraffe?” Instead of bending over to pet the imaginary dog, they will stretch up as high as they can reach, pantomiming petting a giraffe.
While “Constellations” creates a tapestry of choices, Roland and Marianne’s decisions are explored from many angles. It’s a fascinating idea, but the thesaurus cites that a synonym for repetition is monotony. Payne’s play lies in some alleyway between fascinating and monotonous.
A meet-cute goes sideways in several versions, but, in many, they end up together – for a while – forever? Who’s to say.
The play is likely to start a debate on the ride home. A debate that, theoretically, will go every which way, depending on which universe you live in. I hope you live in the universe where no one has to sleep on the couch.
Butler and Hukill are amazing. They have to open scenes with the same or similar lines over and over again. The task of getting it right each time seems to be astronomically difficult.
There is a palpable chemistry between them.
Intimacy coordinator Olivia Hartle navigates the duo through some very close, very romantic moments.
There is one additional character in the show, the Grim Keeper (Reed Callan), the world’s most ominous stage hand. He has no lines of dialogue but he is both hilarious and terrifying in a full beekeeper costume.
(Once again, Marvel made me afraid of beekeeper costumes (“WandaVision,” episode 2).
Director Caitlin Dobronz does an excellent job moving the characters around the stage in ways that keeps the action fresh – even after we’ve seen a few iterations of the same action and dialogue. She is also credited with set design, where she made equally beautiful and luminous choices.
There may have been a few too many costume changes, but the clothes probably helped the actors remember which version of the story they were on.
While the writing seems tedious at times, there is a strange emotional wallop by the end of the play (no spoilers). Overall, I’m glad I live in the universe where I saw this “Constellations.”
-MB
“Constellations” runs until November 23 at the Allegheny RiverTrail Park, 285 River Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15215. For more information, click here.
