Game Over
Josh Levine's drama dives into the effects of war and those who fight while diligently avoiding politics. Game Over focuses instead on the very real, very modern problems faced by a young couple. Recently reunited with his high school sweetheart after his tour of duty in Iraq, young vet Marcus (Aaron Misakian) is a disconnected echo of the man he used to be. His sweetheart, Carla (understudy Tania Verafield) turns to Marcus' best friend and fellow vet Jimmy (understudy Donal Thoms-Cappello) for help. Jimmy seems well adjusted, yet he and Marcus share a dark secret that threatens to kill any chance of a happily ever after for all of them.
It is virtually impossible to laud the merits of Levine's engaging work without spoiling the twist at the heart of the play. The secret Jimmy and Marcus share could easily overpower what is, essentially, a modern kitchen sink drama. Levine maintains a steady hand on the wheel, keeping the focus where it ought to be: on the effect the revelation has on his characters, rather than the secret itself.
Two of the three actors in the performance attended were understudies. In the absence of program inserts, one would not know it. Verafield brings an earnest impatience to Carla. She is really trying with Marcus, even after Jimmy lets her in on the secret. The turning points for her in the play resonate nicely, never overplayed or emoted through. Thoms-Cappello reveals much through the subtle shift in Jimmy's personality. There is a mercurial aspect to this character, implicit in the dialogue, that Thoms-Cappello underplays to great effect. Miskian's tortured vet Marcus is disconcerting at first, as if the actor is holding the role at arm's length. As the character's arc unfolds, this disconnection is brought into stark relief, evolving into a complex and engaging portrayal. It's a dangerous choice that pays off.
Director Corby Sullivan's touch is gentle and unforced, with only one or two choices that seem artificial. In particular, a few scattered brochures on the floor downstage right remain in place through most of act one, and ultimately only serve to facilitate an actor's blocking at a moment when another choice would have sufficed. It is an unnecessary bump on an otherwise elegantly helmed production.
Set designer Andy Dobson has composed a Spartan black box set that provides just enough context to the scenes. A clever solution in act two covers the odd locale in a play that otherwise conducts its business in two tidy settings. Lighting designer Chris Cotone provides naturalistic atmosphere throughout, with just a few dabs of expressionistic flourish that contribute to the emotional beat of the play. The sound designer is not credited, which is a shame. Preshow and intermission music set the tone perfectly, and what could easily be perfunctory cues in the show were obviously finessed into something a cut above.
A stronger resolution is needed. Not that the play needs a happy ending. On the contrary, the open-ended ending is the sequitur choice for a play that plays it real. But there remain emotional loose ends; a fizzling out of the investment we willingly make in Levine's characters. He takes us almost all the way to an emotional climax, and the play ends. There must be a way to pay off what builds throughout. Perhaps a chance to see all three characters in a confrontation with each other, a moment that is surely missing. Nevertheless, Game Over is a thoughtfully rendered, delicately presented story, and well worth watching.