Time warp: 'Now and Then' at The Adobe Theater contemplates the past, explores youthful decisions
Front left to right, Mary Ellin Brooks and Joe Marshall, back left to right, Graydon Clarke and Jennifer Alden, star in 鈥淣ow and Then鈥� playing at The Adobe Theater from Friday, Jan. 24, through Feb. 9.
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鈥淣ow and Then鈥� by Sean Grennan explores youth coming face-to-face with their older selves in a mind-bending way.
The production, which runs Friday, Jan. 24, through Feb. 9, at The Adobe Theater, begins with a last minute patron walking into a bar as it gets ready to close. The patron offers the bartender and his girlfriend a lucrative incentive of $2,000, if the couple will sit and have a drink with him after last call.
When the couple begins to realize the patron is unusually invested in stories about their future together and other life choices, the patron provides an unbelievable explanation. Things then take a turn when a displeased second stranger arrives.
鈥淚t kind of fell in my lap and I was intrigued,鈥� said director Robin Havens-Parker. 鈥淭he line that grabbed me was, 鈥業f you could go back and talk to your younger self, would you do it? And what would you say?鈥� And so the show starts out, and I try not to do too much of a spoiler alert, but it鈥檚 kind of within a few pages, the audience pretty much figures out what鈥檚 going on.鈥�
There are surprises throughout the show, which opens in 1981, with a young bartender named Jamie closing up the bar.
鈥淭here鈥檚 this strange flash of light outside, and he just thinks it鈥檚 an ambulance or something,鈥� Parker said. 鈥淎nd then a few seconds later, a man walks into the bar and he wants to get a drink, even though it鈥檚 almost past last call, but he goes ahead and gives him a drink, and they start talking, and he finds out that Jamie鈥檚 an aspiring pianist, and he wants to really push forward as a musician.鈥�
Jamie鈥檚 girlfriend, Abby, shows up and the trio swaps stories, including a hard to wrap your head around story by the patron.
鈥淛ust as he鈥檚 about ready to leave, there鈥檚 another flash of light and a woman walks in the door, and that鈥檚 the end of act one,鈥� Parker said. 鈥淎nd then, the end of the show takes place in 2016, 35 years later ... It鈥檚 just fascinating. It鈥檚 their younger selves and their older selves coming face-to-face with each other.鈥�
The production stars Jessica Alden, Mary Ellin Brooks, Graydon Clarke and Joe Marshall.
鈥淚t鈥檚 very well written,鈥� Parker said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 funny, it鈥檚 poignant. I mean, I know, it鈥檚 field cliche, but you鈥檒l laugh, you鈥檒l cry, and I鈥檝e got some really great actors in it too. So I鈥檓 just really thrilled with how this process has gone.鈥�
