Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Ngozi Anyanwu’s THE LAST OF THE LOVE LETTERS manages to be both exactly and not at all what it seems

• By drediman
• September 14, 2021
• No Comments

Last night, Ngozi Anyanwu’s The Last of the Love Letters premiered at Atlantic Theater Company in Chelsea. In my book, the event is a significant one, marking among the first opening nights at a major Off-Broadway company since last March’s lockdown halted all in-person performances. On the surface, the play appears simple and familiar enough. It’s structured as two back-to-back monologues on the topic of romantic relationships gone sour – one from the perspective of a bitter but decidedly undecided woman, and the other from the point of view of a seemingly incarcerated man desperate to re-connect with his ex-lover.

What makes the play so fascinating upon closer inspection is that I believe it’s open to interpretation. First off, it’s unclear whether the respective characters are, in fact, the topic of each other’s passionate confessions. Ms. Anyanwu furthermore makes sure that the details of the romances aren’t too specific (are the former objects of affection actually human beings to begin with?), which can be a double-edged sword. The play’s vagueness can render the dialogue repetitive, especially if you hold to the literal meaning of the play. However, I found deep satisfaction from dissecting the work and mining it for less apparent meaning. In many ways, the world of The Last of the Love Letters calls to mind the elusive, pseudo-allegorical landscapes sprung from the mind of the great Caryl Churchill, in which human society is distilled of its noise to some sort of poetic truth. The more I thought about Ms. Anyanwu’s work (especially the latter monologue), the more I found myself convinced that it’s a pointed reflection of theater artists during the pandemic (with their art being their absent ex-lover). But of course, this is only one interpretation.

Atlantic Theater Company’s production, which has been directed by Patricia McGregor in a manner just as deceptive as the play itself, features a pair fierce performances. As the woman – listed simply as “You” in the digital program – Ms. Anyanwu herself delivers her own words with the sneaking overarching sense that language itself may be insufficient to capture her feelings about her failed relationship. Hers is a carefully nuanced performance, and its subtlety captivated me thoroughly. As You No. 2, Daniel J. Watts is an undeniable firecracker, firing on all cylinders over the course of his relatively lengthy monologue (Mr. Watts resumes his Tony-nominated turn as Ike Turner in Tina: The Tina Turner Musical after this run). Despite the impressive physicality and emotional commitment of his performance, I wish that the dynamic actor brought just a tad more variety and range to the role.

RECOMMENDED

THE LAST OF THE LOVE LETTER
Off-Broadway, Play / In-person
Atlantic Theater Company
1 hour, 10 minutes (without an intermission)
Through September 29