The Unexpected Man

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The Unexpected Man Bright Eyes Productions at the Lounge Theatre 2 Reviewed by Neal Weaver March 11, 2010 French playwright Yasmina Reza often relies on gimmicks to unleash revelations. She takes mundane, prosaic situations and probes beneath the surface to reveal lurking passionate, life-and-death feelings, as in "Art" and "God of Carnage." In "The Unexpected Man," two strangers share a compartment on a train, traveling between Paris and Frankfurt. But this time, Reza fails to break through the confines of the ordinary situation to reveal the visceral underpinnings. Most of the play consists of a pair of twin monologues, and only in the last third of the play do the two characters begin to interact. The Man (Ronald Hunter) is a famous novelist, successful but disenchanted: the words "bitter" and "bitterness" recur frequently in his musings. The Woman (Judy Jean Berns) recognizes the Man as the author of books she cherishes; she's carrying his latest novel in her bag, reluctant to bring it out and read lest it lead to an embarrassing contretemps. The Man is aware of her and speculates about who she is; he suspects she is German. The Woman knows who he is, from long and perceptive reading of his books. Perhaps she understands him better than he understands himself. At last, she decides to let him see that she's reading his novel. An ambiguous conversation results, in which he never quite reveals who he is. It's a strange, sometimes fascinating play—quiet, low-key, with little external incident—which relies on meticulous performances to hold our interest. Both characters are complex and idiosyncratic, and under David Robinson's deft direction, the actors skillfully explore the nuances of their unspoken relationship. Hunter plays a craggy, articulate sophisticate whose ego is tickled by his encounter with an ardent fan, but he self-protectively keeps his distance. Berns is an elegant romantic, whose passions are restrained—but who recognizes that, in different circumstances, the Man might have played a major role in her life. The ending offers an elegiac suggestion of what might have been. The performances are almost interesting enough to make us forget the bloodlessness of the play. Presented by Bright Eyes Productions at the Lounge Theatre 2, 6201 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood. Feb. 19–March 28. Fri.–Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m. (323) 960-7785. www.plays411.com/unexpectedman.

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