by Miryam Gordon - SGN A&E Writer

Red Light Winter
Theatre Off Jackson
Through November 13

A new theater company (another one? Yes, hush.), Azeotrope, has emerged with a sharply written, snappy, intense drama by Adam Rapp currently performing at Theatre Off Jackson. Red Light Winter is an exploration in discontented and disconnected young adults (30 is the new 20, right?).

With tight direction by Desdemona Chiang, the story revolves around Matt, a despondent and suicidal playwright who seems desperate to find connection with another human. His apparent best friend is Davis, whose idea of help is to find Matt a prostitute in Amsterdam - not the most emotionally fulfilling help one could probably come up with. Davis presents Christina to Matt, but it turns out that the gift is somewhat sullied by the fact that Davis has already partaken of her - think ABC (already-been-chewed) gum, or partly eaten birthday cake.

What is worse is that through that intimacy with Davis, Christina has fallen in a weird kind of love with him, believing that somehow their union was extra-special and that Davis told her things and showed a side of himself that was tender and vulnerable. Davis, however - in a 'committed' relationship with Matt's ex - was likely just drunk. Why an avowed prostitute would fall in love with Davis points to the incredibly deep disconnect that Christina has with her life and a deep denial that she's prostituting herself. In fact, at first, she's presented as a lounge singer rather than a prostitute.

Davis, a belligerent bombast, doesn't actually seem at all upset with or disconnected from his life, although he is terribly disconnected from tender human emotions. He's more narcissistic and clueless. His other ideas for helping Matt include arguing with him or physically fighting him.

The tragedy inherent is that Christina could possibly make a real connection with Matt, as Matt's probing gets her to reveal what seems to be her real self, though she doesn't credit their connection enough to realize that it might be a gateway to real improvement. These are three sad people.

Richard Nguyen Sloniker plays Matt with a sensitive and haunted face. His character frustrates because he's smart enough (both he and Davis have Ivy League educations) to know how to get help for himself, but doesn't. Mariel Neto plays the complicated, secretive Christina. Neto is able to demonstrate a callousness and confused sexuality that works well for the role. Versatile Tim Gouran inhabits the callous Davis with conviction. Gouran brings a satisfied savagery to the climactic scene.

An understated set by Andrea Bush is accompanied by lighting by Andrew D. Smith. Chiang's direction keeps the tension tight in a small, breathless space. Also understated is the handling of very explicit sex, with full nudity of two characters. It's handled sensitively and effectively without making the audience unduly confronted.

The playwright, Adam Rapp, is an up-and-comer, and we're sure to see more of his work in the near future here in town. The script is generally tight, but a segment of argumentative intellectual one-upmanship could have been easily left out without sacrificing one minute of the overall message. Still, keep an eye out for his next work. He has a lot to say.

Congratulations to Azeotrope for an auspicious opening production, with wishes for more well-executed, challenging work. For more information, go to www.azotheatre.org or http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/128460.

Comments on reviews go to sgncritic@gmail.com.

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