Things We Said Today
by Neil Labute

Reviewer: Reg
Date: May 2, 2007

Every year the Ensemble Studio Theater holds a festival marathon of one-act plays. This year sees the 29th Festival, and has so many plays it is split into a "Series A" and "Series B".

"Series A" consists of 5 plays: The Probabilities, a sometimes funny and sometimes disturbing monologue about respecting how dangerous the weather can be; My Dog Heart, a very clever and spot-on allegory of love as a disease; The First Tree in Antarctica, a poignant story of a woman who dreams of Antarctica and the heartbreaking revelation as to its meaning; The News, a very funny hospital room scene featuring Grant Shaud (Miles from Murphy Brown); and finally The Things We Said TodaY, written by Neil Labute, with Dana Delany and Victor Slezak as a married couple discusssing an infidelity.

I went on the opening night, May 31st. All the plays were amazing (I confess I was expecting to be bored a lot, but it wasn't the case). Ironically, the first four were so good I was concerned about Dana's being able to top them, being the last one. But my worries were definitely unfounded.

I'll try not to give away too much: the set is basically just a table with dinnerware and two chairs. After Victor and Dana enter, the dialogue establishes they are at a cafe in a shopping center. She forces him to reveal that he's having an affair, which results in an exchange of several excellent monologues with Victor trying to weasel out of his predicament, and Dana gradually but emotionally showing that a major decision has been reached.

Labute's play alternates between several bold tones; Victor mainly humorous but sleazy, and Dana determined but hurt and scared.

Dana is outstanding, and is the highlight of the extraordinary evening. She opens her heart for the audience in the way that only Dana can, and makes us more and more worried as to how it's all going to end.

But to know the end, you'll have to sit in EST's intimate theater and be part of that fortunate audience.

"Series A" is running until June 20.

For more info and tickets.