By Joe Straw
One would question Richard Kalvar’s (Will Bradley) viability as he stepped into the swank lobby of the Langham-Huntington Hotel. He was unsteady on his feet, loud, and projected a continual stream of imperfect thought. His fogged synapses were not all firing with any degree of regularity. He was not completely soiled to be considered homeless, and his attenuated body leads a casual observer to speculate on his drug use.
Chip (Trip Langley), at the hospitality center, rotates his stiff body like a carnival cut-out but has the wherewithal to keep a steady eye first on the disruptions in the lobby and secondly on his computer.
But now Richard has grown tired and wants to go up to his room to get some rest. He tells Chip (observed as an uncaring clerk with a contemptuous sneer masquerading as a smile) that he’s left everything up in his room and would like another key. But Chip, knowing the answer before looking it up, says there’s no one registered by his name in that room.
Richard asks to speak to the manager. Jack Wyndham (Kim Estes) appears and is hugely sympathetic to his cause. He offers to take Richard up to the room where he is supposedly staying. Richard is lost but Jack sees a glimmer of truth to his story, and he resolves to get to the bottom of Richard’s plight.
But Jack can’t do this alone; he has the rest of the Langham-Huntington Hotel to run. So, he enlists Mike Salcedo (Justin Huen) a member of the security staff to investigate Richard’s problem.
Mike will help and he tells Jack that looking into this will cost the hotel more money. Jack is a little hesitant but gives in. He tells Mike to take him into the restaurant, feed him, and get as much information as possible.
Connie (Rebecca O’Brien) the waitress comes over to take his order and she does so reluctantly. Connie is weighed down by the day and possibly gravity. Tired after a full day, her name tag is on upside down, obvious to the casual observer but not to her, and she’s a little angry about working overtime. Jack, the manager has assured her she will be paid the overtime.
So now it’s just Richard Kalvar and Mike Salcedo. Mike has questions to ask, and Richard has stories to tell. And they meticulously pour over Richard’s history to find out what has happened to him.
The Complex presents the world premiere of Bearings written and directed by Matt Chait and produced by Erin Trainer now playing at the Flight Theatre through October 9, 2022.
Bearings is an exceptional play with an extraordinary and diverse cast. In a world where everyone is looking out for themselves Matt Chait, the writer, finds the human in humanity, giving us characters who go out of their way to help someone in trouble. As bad as their daily lives are and as ugly as they may feel, hope resurrects in the responsiveness of those willing to go the extra mile.
That said, not everything works, some things need tweaking, moments need defining to highlight a change in the relationships. In other words, defining why a character thinks one way only to change his mind when discovering additional information. It doesn’t have to be obvious it just needs to ring true.
And, not to throw bad blood on a terrific play with a particular scene, but the snake scene has got to work and have a purpose.
Will Bradley is exceptional as Richard Kalvar. A man in profound darkness who is trying to get his bearings as is the title of the play. The character is never tripped up with his counterparts trying to see if his story checks out. This is a character that can go in many directions given the circumstances of his predicament. One thinks that discoveries within the mind of the character may be another element of the character’s journey. Naytheless, Bradley’s performance is fluid, and his understated moments are sublime.
Vanessa Born has two roles Eli Timber and Maria and although not seen as Maria this was the most successful character. Eli Timber is a campground administrator and a character who is on the take, not to mention carrying a large rattlesnake around ‘they’ neck. That adds insults to serious injury. But there is room to add an element of danger with the snake and proximity of all around ‘they’.
Kim Estes is Jack Wyndham, the hotel’s doughty manager. Estes gives the character a compassionate and noble trait going all out in order to help a man in trouble. It is a wonderful performance.
Justin Huen is Mike Salcedo, a hotel security person that moves to find the answer to the puzzle. And he does so, taking a mundane observation and turning it into a significant solution to the problem. Huen gives an outstanding and funny performance.
Trip Langley is equally good as Chip. It is a very good character role that moves a specific character into critical depths giving that character the hole he needs to climb out of. It doesn’t make Chip good or bad person but it’s a character that moves the play along splendidly.
Valerie Larsen is Holly who suffers the miserable indignities of loneliness but someone who has dreams of her own. One is not sure what those dreams are given her complaints about staying at home and taking care of their two kids. This, one believes, is a character who wants more of an equal relationship. Larsen’s performance is outstanding but needs additional layers and a clearer objective.
Rebecca O’Brien is Connie and does a splendid job. She is the waitress and not too happy about staying late on her job after already putting in a good day’s work but since she’s being paid overtime, she manages to put up a false smiling front. But something changes in her, she understands that she needs to help this person in trouble. One is not sure exactly how that happened but there was a subtle change in their relationship that was a remarkable moment and a moment that makes one smile.
Jane Papageorge is exceptional as Nina in a very physical role. Without giving too much away, Nina is an acting student who has taking a liking to her teacher with little regard of the consequences. Nina pursues with dogged determination that ultimately sends another in a downward spiral. It is a significant part of the story and Papageorge excels in moving the play along in that role.
Allison Reeves is Aunt Ruth. Ruth gets a surprise that wraps up the journey. Her emotional filled performance is terrific with many layers. There’s enough ambiguity in the performance to not fully grasp the reasons for her crying. Two scenarios come to mine, but in the end and in the final analysis, she cares. Reeves fills the stage with a remarkable life and that is always wonderful to observe.
Marco De León’s set design gives us a fine symbolic representation of the Langham-Huntington Hotel.
Other members of the crew are as follows:
Gregory Crafts – Lighting Design
Ross Chait – Sound Design
Michael Donovan – Casting Director
Kiff Scholl, AFK Design
Jim Niedzialkowski – Stage Manager
Sarah Fanous – Production Stage Manager
Run! Run! Run! And take someone who has lost his/her/they bearings.
The Flight Theatre is small and a wonderful space.
Reservations: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bearings-tickets-395606518747