The Sunset Limited
The stakes are high in Pulitzer prize-winning novelist Cormac McCarthy’s explosive two-hander mortal struggle over faith versus reason, pitting the philosophical debate in what amounts to an arm-wrestling match between convictions. Heavy on dialogue but low in action, this intellectual smackdown is a white-knuckle, gut-wrenching emotional ride with its shattering conclusion that takes no prisoners.
Faith and reason are not the only differences separating these two strangers coming from opposite sides of the track. Race, class, education, along with their beliefs and values polarize these extremes further emphasized by McCarthy’s symbolic handles of “Black” and “White.” The only thing these men share is the veracity of their arguments, each trying to convince the other of their position in a hopeless exchange that cannot sway by the very nature of their principles.
Their paths cross one morning when White (Ron Bottitta), a disillusioned professor decides to end his life by throwing himself in front of a train—The Sunset Limited. His plans are foiled by an ex-con, Black (Tucker Smallwood), who saves the stranger’s life, but takes it upon himself to save the man’s soul. Making White hostage inside his shabby tenement apartment, Black bars the front door with heavy padlocked chains, wearing the key around his neck like a priest with a cross. The only way out is through redemption, but Black is up against a pervading hopelessness that even his scriptures alone cannot refute.
While the nihilist and the evangelist are unable to see eye to eye on matters of reality and faith, they do divulge their experiences that defined their beliefs. For Black, it was a moment of clarity after a life of crime and a bloody assault with a fellow inmate. White’s atheism is a bit more complex, with shades of an unhappy childhood, a less than fulfilling career and an inescapable pessimism about the world at large.
McCarthy slips fascinating juxtapositions between the two men in that Black served time as a prisoner but is in essence free from the cares of the world because of his faith. But White, an otherwise model citizen views society as a prison, telling Black that the world is no more than a concentration camp full of slave laborers waiting for their random execution. Conviction enslaves the men, shackling them to their respective destinies.
The fully detailed set by Stephanie Kerley Schwartz amplifies the sense of squalor in its claustrophobic simplicity and works well in the intimate space at Theatre Theater. Lighting designer Dan Weingarten shines at the end through a single dirty paned window.
John Perrin Flynn directs with an excellent interpretation of the script. Although there is little more than the dialogue, (which in this case is almost more than enough), to propel the action forward, Flynn does a serviceable job of highlighting the shifting moments of triumph and defeat between the arguments.
This play’s success rests solely on the shoulders of its actors and Smallwood and Bottitta prove their both Atlases in their own right. Both men actively listen to one another, engaging each other in a verbal volley that keeps the audience hanging onto every word. Bottitta infuses his cynicism with a simmering mild-mannered defeat that makes White’s last stand against Black that much more effective and memorable. Smallwood shines in his role, injecting this born again criminal with easily felt nuances of rage and frustration, especially in his dogged attempts. The pair is perfectly cast, each revealing their mastery and understanding in these challenging roles.
The subject is heavy, the dialogue heady but it packs a powerful and unforgettable punch. Go see this knockout performance!
“The Sunset Limited”
Runs through Dec 19
Theatre Theater
5041 Pico Blvd.
LA, CA 90019
Fri at 8pm
Sat at 5pm
Sun at 7pm
Tickets are $25
PH: 323-960-4424
www.roguemachinetheatre.com