THE HANGOVER REPORT – Simon Stephens’ MORNING SUN, starring a luminous Edie Falco, investigates the fabric of life itself

Blair Brown and Edie Falco in Manhattan Theatre Club’s production of “Morning Sun” by Simon Stephens at New York City Center (photo by Matthew Murphy).

Last weekend at New York City Center, I attended Manhattan Theatre Club’s production of Morning Sun by Simon Stephens, a playwright who’s perhaps best known for penning the hit stage adaptation of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. In his latest play, Mr. Stephens sets aside the conventional dramatic stakes of that earlier Tony-winning endeavor in favor of investigating – through the lens of three generations of decidedly unremarkable women – the delicate fabric of life itself.

What makes the play such a fascinating exercise is how staunchly it sticks to the notion that life is in essence just a series of events. Without a dramatic arc’s familiar guiding compass and untethered to any real search for meaning, the play becomes much more about the “whats” in life rather than its “whys”, which may strike some as unsatisfying from a dramatic standpoint. I’m summary, the resulting work is clear-eyed and uses emotion sparingly. But despite the play’s apparent chilliness, it finds startling beauty in the seemingly mundane occurrences in life – like the simple act of basking in the morning sun.

Lila Neugebauer’s carefully calibrated and paced staging holds a steady and unnerving gaze on the play’s three women, who are played magnificently by a trio of exceedingly fine stage actresses – Edie Falco, Blair Brown, and Marin Ireland. Ms. Falco portrays the play’s central character in an unadorned but luminous performance that grounds the play. As her mother and daughter, respectively – as well as a collection of other characters (primarily the men in these women’s lives) – Ms. Brown and Ms. Ireland give richly nuanced, refreshingly right-sized performances that capture the essence of these characters in ways that invariably ring true.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

MORNING SUN
Off-Broadway, Play
Manhattan Theatre Club / New York City Center Stage I
1 hour, 40 minutes (without an intemission)
Through December 19

Categories: Off-Broadway, Theater

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