Boulevard Theatre 'Significant Other' poster
Boulevard Theatre presents a couple performances of a staged reading of Joshua Harmon’s contemporary comedic drama Significant Other. A tiny, intimate stage serves as the social space for a small group of friends in one of the largest cities in the world. Kyle Conner stars as Jordan Berman, a man living in New York. Like many of his friends, he’s in he feels like an aging single in his late twenties. He’s dealing with the terrors of a potential life alone as his friends all gradually get married around him. Conner is heartbreakingly vulnerable as a gentle neurotic hoping to make a connection of some sort. Mohammad Elbsat subtly plays charming notes in and around the edges of the show as a soft-spoken guy who catches his eye.
The ensemble is remarkably well-balanced. Grace Berendt is endlessly charming as Kiki, the newly wedded wife with a wild past who has finally settled down. Kiki’s youth is contrasted against that of Jordan’s grandmother, played with an elegantly gruff resilience by Joan End. End has a delightfully deep grasp of the deeply reflective life of a woman who has lived through a lot. Other notable performances include Mary Grace Seigel as a grown-up goth girl who, much to her own dismay, finds happiness in love. Caitlin Compton is particularly impressive as Jordan’s dearest friend. There’s a powerful confrontation between the two of them as she becomes the last to get married, leaving him quite alone.
The script holds together remarkably well in a staged reading format. The struggles of a group of people to Rey to make meaningful connections with each other is remarkably compelling. There is truly heartbreaking comedy rapped-up in the very contemporary story of people living on the edge of the human abyss in Manhattan just trying to get along with each other.
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Boulevard Theatre’s staged reading of Significant Other runs through Wednesday, June 7 at Sugar Maple, 411 E. Lincoln Ave. For more information, visit facebook.com/boulevardtheatre.
