My overall impression
Usually any play that consists entirely of two people on a stage talking is something to avoid. Too many playwrights think that they’re going to be the next best thing to happen to theater by writing yet another absurdist/existensial play about futility of life and end up boring the hell out of you by not having anything happen.
However, they aspire to this trope because every once in awhile, an outlier will show that that construct can lead to something magical. ‘Ryan is Lost’ is such an outlier.
First of all, it’s highly entertaining. Wellman has a taut, lean script that allows no time for wallowing. Instead you’re pummeled with rapid-fire bickering between two unsavory characters. Despite their ineptitude, the result is something uncommonly witty. Nankin’s pacing of these two characters is just as charged. You expect this guy to be a seasoned vet of small theater until you look at his bio and realize he’s spent years at the helm directing TV. Haverty and Murphy give fully realized, truly hilarious performances. Highly recommended.
