What Happens In the Dark

What I liked

The basic conceit of the play (when the stage lights come on, it is in fact complete darkness in the story) is a terrific metaphor for how our true selves, our most guarded secrets, only come to light under the cover of night. This is a tall order for audience suspension of belief. And yet it largely works! Under the assured direction of Casey Buxton-Dean, the actors commit themselves to the bit with gusto, stumbling about the stage, feeling out their surroundings. This leads to a serious of hilarious, absurd misunderstandings and plenty of physical comedy.

It’s not just laughs though. The cast is equally up to the task of conveying this story’s beating heart: the struggle to communicate in a relationship, how shame corrodes ourselves and the ones we love. As the leads, Kris Buxton-Dean and Hannelore Berlin give real pathos to these characters and Lee Pollero and Andrew Puente give hilarious turns in supporting roles.

What I didn't like

I struggled a bit with the asymmetry of the two main characters’ arcs. They are both hiding secrets from one another, both rooted in shame (the husband is questioning his sexuality, the wife is engaging in an illicit side hustle). I can see the thematic parallel between them, but the wife’s story is much more cartoonish than the husband’s very relatable, very human struggles. Perhaps keeping both sides of the story more grounded in reality would make for a more resonant story.

My overall impression

A hilarious and heartfelt farce about the secrets we keep and the absurd lengths we go to hide our true selves.