Off-Broadway Review Antlia Pneumatica

Nat DeWolf, Maria Striar, Crystal Finn & April Matthis. Photo: Joan Marcus

Antlia Pneumatica

By Anne Washburn
Directed by Ken Rus Schmoll
Playwrights Horizons

By Lauren Yarger
What's It All About?
Commissioned by Playwrights Horizons, where playwright Anne Washburn's Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play was a hit,  Antlia Pneumatica subtitles itself a play about "place, space and grace." OK. Not sure I got that as not a great deal happens as folks stand around chatting for an hour and 45 minutes, sometimes looking at the stars (Lighting Designer Tyler Micoleau creates a nice star-heavy sky)  glittering above the Texas ranch (minimally designed by Rachel Hauck under just enough framework and tree branches to give us the idea of setting) where they have gathered for a service and spreading of Sean's ashes.

Some of them, like former couple Nina (Annie Parisse) and Adrian (Rob Campbell) have not seen each other in many years. We get the feeling their breakup wasn't fun and that they pretty much have put each other out of their minds. Nina has moved on with husband and kids. Bama (Crystal Finn) enjoys the reunion as an escape from her mundane existence as a wife and mother, reveling in the luxury of an uninterrupted bath at the hotel and a meal prepared for her at Denny's/   Others, like sister Liz (April Mathis), friend Len (Nat DeWolf) and Ula (Maria Striar) have been in touch more regularly, but it soon becomes apparent that doesn't mean they are important parts of each other's lives. And maybe the feelings between Nina and Adrian aren't as buried as they might think after 16 years.

Meanwhile, no one really seems all that affected by Sean's death. After all, they sort of ended up with his askes because no one else seemed to want them and some of his funeral instructions were left over from the days when the group hung out together.

What Are the Highlights?
Director Ken Rus Schmoll, who helmed the quirky Iowa at Playwrights, manages to create an uncertain atmosphere that matches the questions we have about these folks. I particularly like the starlit sky scene where we barely see the outlines of Adrian and Nina in the starlight. The universe is vast and uncertain, like their lives.

What Are the Lowlights?
Not enough invested in the characters. It takes us a while to figure out who they are and what their relationships to each other are (and we never fully get it). This isn't "The Big Chill" where we feel like we are invited to the angst-filled reunion of friends who were once close, but who now realize they might not have a lot in common except for their memories. It also doesn't have the feel of  Washburn's amusing Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play (which also ran at Playwrights) where we entered a world linked to us by characters we know from "The Simpsons." Instead Antlia Pneumatica makes us feel more like we showed up at the wrong house by mistake,

Voices are heard in the dark from offstage. We aren't quite sure some times whether these are thoughts the characters are having or whether the conversations are really happening. Some of the conversations between characters and why pecans keep dropping from the branches hanging overhead also are not obvious in meaning.

And what's with that title, any way. It ends up being the name of a small constellation of stars meaning air pump.

"When we know that four stars have been slung together and called an air pump, we
realize that really, the whole sky is up for grabs, says Adrian. All righty then.

More information:
Antlia Pneumatica runs through April 24 at Playwrights Horizons’ Peter Jay Sharp Theater, 416 West 42nd St., NYC. Performances are Tuesdays through Fridays at 7:30 pm; Saturdays at 2 and 7:30 pm; Sundays at 2 and 7 pm. There is a special 30 and under performance on April 14 at 7:30 pm; Tickets are $60-$80: www.PHnyc.org; 212- 279-4200; Box Office.

Additional credits: 

Costume Design by Jessica Pabst, Sound Design by Leah Gelpe and original music by Daniel Kluger.

As part of this season’s Symposium series, there will be a special panel discussion with playwright Anne Washburn between shows on Saturday, April 16 at 4 pm. Tickets for the event, in which Ms. Washburn will serve a moderator, can be reserved by visiting www.PHnyc.org/Symposium. Tickets are $5 for season package holders and $10 for the general public.

Here's a trailer:

FAMILY-FRIENDLY FACTORS:
-- Language
-- God's name used in vain