Post Office

Alexis Distler's detailed set captures the gloom of a Midwestern mailroom perfectly. The drab colors permeate the stage, which is peppered with beaten-up U.S. Postal Service bins, letters, and other accessories. Seth Reiser's low-hanging lights provide a greenish illumination to the open space, engendering a pathetic, lonely feeling before David Jenkins' play even commences. Unfortunately, Jenkins' words are just as depressing as Distler's and Reiser's thought-out designs. The play's message doesn't get beyond the decline of the American mail service, which is already an outdated concept, as many believe even email is on the way out.

In a speech at the beginning, lifetime USPS employee Denny remarks that the postal service is the remaining pillar of American democracy. Every person gets the same service no matter race or class. Denny has been a mail carrier for 40 years, but after facing an occupational hazard—falling off a porch—he must take time off while 19-year-old James takes over his route. The play is largely a two-hander, with James and Denny discussing life and love but mostly the mail. Denny is proud of the fact that he's devoted his life to the service, so much so that he refers to the mail as his wife, while James wants to get out as soon as possible. When James meets Victoria, a middle-aged married woman on Denny's route, he uses her as an escape from his banal existence.

"Post Office" is full of philosophical one-liners that seem to encapsulate the human experience in a phrase but ultimately come across as sticky and clichéd. "The only thing you have left is what you actually did and how you did it," Denny says to James in a moment of attempted inspiration. Director Josie Whittlesey for the most part resorts to having her actors shout instead of creating sincere emotional displays, and the timing falters in many places.

Despite these hurdles, the three actors prove to be talented and hard-working. Eric Hoffman delivers a touching performance as Denny and garners sympathy for a man who proudly chose to live a simple life. While neither James nor Victoria is very likable, David Gelles and Anney Giobbe play up their marked characteristics. Victoria is a caricature, but Giobbe finds her essence, and Gelles channels James' desperation and confusion well. The problems are inherent in the characters, not the acting.

Presented by Human Animals at the New Ohio Theatre, 154 Christopher St., NYC. Dec. 6–17. Mon. and Tue., Thu.–Sun.,. 8 p.m. (212) 868-4444 or www.smarttix.com.