'Match' doesn't light up stage
From the title of the play you expect to see something incendiary. Unfortunately, Stephen Belber's "Match" fails to fully ignite.
The problem with the mystery/relationship drama rests not with the kindling Apple Tree Theatre provides. Director Steve Scott, a Goodman Theatre artistic associate, clearly knows his way around a relationship drama. And in Raymond L. Chapman, Michelle Courvais and Mark Douglas-Jones, he has assembled a very good cast.
No, the problem has to do with the accelerant, specifically Belber's play. It's all about relationships, ambition and missed opportunities. Deception prevails, power shifts and the only thing people seem to share is heartache. A cryptic description to be sure, but to elaborate further would ruin the play, which centers around a search for answers surrounding a long-forgotten affair.
You don't need a flashlight to see where Belber's going. His contrived setup telegraphs that pretty clearly. The ending is transparent despite his attempt to the contrary, and the abrupt character shifts aren't credible. That said, Belber has crafted a touching protagonist in the quirky Tobi, a dancer who sacrificed for a career that has not turned out as he had hoped.
The play opens with trim, 62-year-old dance teacher and choreographer Tobi (Douglas-Jones in a performance of restrained flamboyance and pained ambivalence) fussing about his tidy New York City apartment and preparing for the arrival of Lisa (Courvais, a refreshingly natural actress). A graduate student, Lisa has come from Seattle with her husband Mike (a tightly coiled Chapman who does a slow burn brilliantly) to interview Tobi for her dissertation on classical dance in America.
A choreographer for opera who has worked most of his career abroad, Tobi seems an unlikely source and it becomes clear fairly quickly that the couple's agenda extends beyond academic curiosity. Again, more description would spoil the show.
The first act, the superior of the two, simmers, and its explosive conclusion is riveting. However, despite some rather clever observations comparing sex with dancing and knitting, the second act -- from which the electrifying Chapman is largely absent -- never really catches fire.
This "Match" flickers, but ultimately, doesn't generate much heat.
"Match"
2 1/2 stars out of four
Location: Apple Tree Theatre at the Karger Recreation Center, 1850 Green Bay Road, Highland Park
Times: 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays to Fridays; 8 p.m. Fridays; 5 and 8:30 p.m. Saturdays; 2 and 6 p.m. Sundays through April 6
Running Time: About 2 hours 20 minutes, with intermission
Tickets: $38-$48
Box office: (847) 432-4335 or appletreetheatre.com
Rating: For adults, contains sexual content, strong language