Even the greatest of romances end. What makes love stories great isn’t their invincibility, but rather their vulnerability and the reality of their situation. If every relationship went from “nice to meet you” to “happily ever after,” we wouldn’t have had Romeo and Juliet, Tristan and Isolde or Jack and Rose.
Time Stands Still
Through October 23rd; Thursdays at 7:30p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m, Saturdays at 3:00 and 8:00 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m.
Performance Network Theatre
Tickets from $15
Opening Performance Network Theatre’s 2011-12 season is one such love story: “Time Stands Still.” Written by Pulitzer Prize winner Donald Margulies and nominated for a Tony in 2010 for Best Play, “Time Stands Still” is a realistic, modern view of life and love today.
Set on the backdrop of the Iraqi war, the play explores the emotional and physical conflicts of Sarah, a photographer who has just returned from the Middle East after being injured in a roadside bombing. Sarah is forced to confront her feelings for her ex-boyfriend James and choose between a safer, easier job at home and her true passion, photographing the realities of terror overseas.
Actress Suzi Regan, who plays Sarah, admitted that at its core “Time Stands Still” is a reflection of the daily struggles people face.
“It is about love, war and how there is no justice in either one of those,” Regan said. “Nothing’s fair in love and war, yet it’s still completely consuming for us.”
This precarious balance of love and sacrifice weighs heavily on the characters throughout the play and mirrors the reality of modern life outside of hostile and foreign environments.
“What we are today is not what we were 20 or 40 years ago,” Regan said. “Where do we find ourselves in the equation of love and war today? I think the questions themselves are timeless, but because they’re being asked in the here and now, they’re framed in a different way.”
Director Kate Peckham, who has had more than 20 years of professional theater experience, enjoyed bringing to life characters that are relatable but have a certain depth to them.
“As a director I really look for the truth in every moment, and this play is one of those real works that is able to do that,” Peckham said. “Truth in theater is what provides the vehicle for people to emotionally connect to the play in whatever way they need to.”
As each character reflects on his or her own personal and professional sacrifices, the audience will be able to do the same, arriving to independent conclusions.
“It’s a beautiful, realistic play,” Peckham said. “It asks all the hard questions and takes a real intense look at relationships and how far you’re willing to go for your passions in life.”
Peckham encouraged everyone to take time and discover all that “Time Stands Still” has to offer.
“Go see it, because it’s really worth it,” Peckham said. “I really mean it, and I stand by it, and I think people will be blown away.”