Time is the Central Character in ‘Take Flight!’

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SandMark Productions’ Take Flight! is a strikingly clever dramatic comedy. Set entirely at an airport gate, the play is conceived as one hour of real-time prior to the departure of an Icarus Airlines flight out of Milwaukee bound for Atlanta. The show’s programs are laid-out like boarding passes, clearly defining the tension: The show starts at 7 p.m., boarding starts at 7:50 p.m. and departure is at 8:05 p.m. Characters are forced to deal with various conflicts that arise in the hour before takeoff. Time itself serves as the central character. Tensions rise as a video screen displaying ever-advancing departures and arrivals looms overhead. The production stylishly mixes traditional action with staged reading as bits of script are hidden in various props, including magazines and digital tablets.

Playwright Mark Wyss renders quite a bit of detail into a simple conceptual space. Erico Ortiz plays a slimy businessman trying to upgrade his seat. Robyn Dahl and Rob Schreiner are emotionally engaging as a young couple who are having some difficulty communicating with each other. Tom Welcenbach conjures an endearing stillness to the stage as a man who wanders around the gate looking for his wife. Mary Lynn Ferwerda is a beautifully calming presence as the Icarus Airlines customer service representative forced to deal with everything.

In keeping the plot simple, Wyss is free to allow characters to gradually ricochet around each other in appealingly increasing tension. Everyone in the cast has a clean, brisk character arc. All conflicts are cleanly resolved in one fashion or another in the course of a single hour (without intermission). SandMark delivers a refreshingly concise comedic drama package on a very small stage.

Through June 1 at ComedySportz, 420 S. First St. For tickets, visit cszmke.com.