Time Stands Still was written in 2009 – although author Donald Margulies acknowledges he did some revision and tightening a few years after that. It feels all too fresh.
Two young, or at least young-ish, free-lance journalists are partners and often work together. Sarah Goodwin (Wendy Renee Greenwood) is a photojournalist of considerable ability and a reputation to match. Her long-time boyfriend James Dodds (Ben Nordstrom) writes, quite ably but isn’t the major figure that Sarah is.
When they enter their Brooklyn loft, Sarah is on crutches. They’ve both been in Iraq, but James left early after an IED blew up nearby, leaving him with human remains splattered on his face and PTSD. Sarah stayed longer. She was in a vehicle that also fell prey to an explosive device, killing, among other people, her fixer (translator and general factotum). It’s her first time in the apartment since the accident and her hospitalization, but it’s clear that she’s eager to resume her previous life. James, though, is anxious about that, and protective of her. He’s currently working on some piece about horror movies as both metaphors and catharsis.
An old friend and editor with whom they’ve frequently worked, Richard (Jerry Vogel), visits after a few days. He brings with him his new, much younger girlfriend, Mandy (Eileen Engel). She’s not a total innocent, but far more gee-whiz than the other three. Still, he’s obviously crazy about her.
Sarah wants to get back to work. James wants to think about anything but Iraq. He’s discovered he likes nesting. And speaking of nesting, Mandy and Richard found out they’re having a baby, and they marry. Maybe Sarah and James should.
But the play’s secondary theme, the horrors of war and its effect even on those who aren’t combatants or residents, is burning. Mandy asks to see Sarah’s photos. They are, of course, graphic, and when Mandy asks about the fate of a critically injured child and what Sarah did when the child was hurt, things get scalding.
Here, then, is the question: Is it the job of journalism to change things or to record them? Would things be changed more by Sarah scooping up the child and driving it to a hospital or by taking the photographs which will show the world how awful the conflict is?
And how does one negotiate change in a relationship when the basic agreements on which it began are brought into questions? When our lives sneak up on our assumptions about what we want, and about what our partners and our families want, how do you negotiate those changes?
It’s fine ensemble work, certainly. Greenwood’s subtle portrayal of Sarah shows an independent woman trying not to give in to her injury nor to ignore it completely, just as she does with James’ fretting over her. James’ anxiety over life in general is also not overplayed by Nordstrom, as it’s slowly shown to be more of a factor than first shown. Vogel’s Ehrlich is the most stable one of the group, not dull but rock-like. And the Mandy character, whom we presume to be pretty much an airhead, shows plenty of growth through the play.
It’s a fine script – Margulies knows his stuff, and his women characters show plenty of depth. John Stark’s design of their apartment is exactly what you’d expect, a combination of older appliances and furniture from a mid-range chain like Design Within Reach. Michael Sullivan’s lighting pulls us in, but the real noticeable factor from the designers is Zoe Sullivan’s music perfectly scored yet unexpected. I liked that a lot. Director Doug Finlayson has created a very worthwhile group to offer a thoughtful experience for all audiences.
Time Stands Still
through April 14
The New Jewish Theatre
Marvin & Harlene Wool Studio Theatre
Arts & Education Building
Jewish Community Center
2 Millstone Campus Drive