Time Stands Still
The shuffle of footsteps at the end of Donald Margulies’ new play, Time Stands Still is destined to echo with the same resonance as Nora’s slamming door some one hundred years ago. Though not breaking any new dramaturgical ground as Ibsen’s A Dolls House once did, Margulies’ world premiere play manages the feat of accomplishing simultaneous objectives: dramatizing what happens when the ravages of war abroad are brought home, illuminating the predicament of successful women when confronted with needs of their men, and chronicling the fragility of trust.
As the title suggests, Margulies’ brand of photo-realism presents a snapshot of 21st century urban life, freezing these concerns in place for our consideration. Commissioned by the Geffen, Time Stands Still benefits from the lavish attention of the accomplished Daniel Sullivan who has brought the play to life with an accomplished cast consisting of the inimitable Anna Gunn as photo-journalist Sarah, Broadway’s David Harbour as James, her writer-boyfriend; Robin Thomas as Sarah’s mentor, Richard; and the ebullient Alicia Silverstone as his opinionated younger girlfriend, Mandy.
James has just brought Sarah home from a period of recuperation after she and her interpreter were ambushed by a roadside bomb. Tariq, the interpreter is dead, but he proves to be a pivotal character in deciding the fate of Sarah and her lover. James is overwhelmed with guilt that Sarah seeks to assuage because he had suffered his own trauma brought on by the war that sent him home to recover. Richard and Mandy try to bring a sense of normality back to the bruised couple, but their joy seems only to exacerbate the state of Sarah and James’s relationship.
Together, the foursome tests the shifting sands of intimacy and love over a six-month period that begins with a homecoming and ends with the aforementioned footsteps in the hall. In the process, we are treated to some of the finest, most revealing and heart-wrenching writing of recent times.
Among the philosophical issues tackled in this play, Margulies has taken up the late Susan Sontag’s argument regarding the morality of war photography. In another, incomparable scene, he constructs a brilliant climactic conversation, threading his way through the minefields of trust and sacrifice with the finesse of a skilled surgeon. Ultimately, the play belies its title, proving instead that, no matter, how frozen a photograph and stamped upon our psyches the actions depicted there, the consequences inevitably reverberate, morph and change our lives.
The Geffen’s production team has realized Margulies’ photographic style with set design (John Lee Beatty) to match. Customs designed by Rita Ryack, lighting by Peter Kaczorowski and sound by LA’s own Jon Gottlieb, round out the superlative production support, augmented with Peter Golub’s musical compositions.
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Theater: Geffen Playhouse, 10886 LeConte Ave., Los Angeles 90024.
Web Site: http://geffenplayhouse.com/
Tickets: (310) 208-5454 or Ticketmaster at (213) 480-3232
Dates: through March 15, 2009