Breathing Time

Breathing Time is playing at the Fault Line Theatre located at 64 East 4th Street. It runs for eighty two minutes with no intermission. The play closes April 13, 2014.

The playwright is Beau Willimon. He wrote the play Farragut North. The movie “Ides of March” is based on his play and was directed by George Clooney. It received an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Screenplay. In 2012 he developed “House of cards” the American adaptation of the BBC series of the same name. The show received nine Prime time Emmy awards nominations, four Golden Glove Award nominations and a WGA Award for Best New Series.

Jack (Craig Wesley Divino) and Mike (Lee Dolson) are bankers working in the same office.

Jack is single and likes to party. He comes to work hung over. Mile is married and has an eight year old son.

They badger each other, but they do get along.

We find out a little more about each man, such as: Mike is more responsible about his job and family. Jack just hired a “hot secretary” Karen (Whitney Conkling) and is little more brass.

An event happens that changes everything.

Mikes wife Julie (Molly Thomas) and Jacks sister Denise (Shannon Marie Sullivan) met at a restaurant in Tribeca for lunch. Denise has a picture of her brother and Julie’s husband. She wanted to meet her. We find out a little about each women and the true reason that brings these strangers together.

The last scene shows how the photo came about.

The set has just two desks on either corner of the stage. There is a window behind Mike’s desk. The desks are cleared and a small table is brought out for the restaurant scene. Nothing else is needed. It makes its point. The audience is on either side of the stage.

This is a solid play. It is a little slow in the beginning. Do bankers curse so much. I could have done away with so much cursing. The event that happened, has a below the belt punch. I did not see it coming. But it added impact to the play.

I am not going to tell you what happen; you will just have to see this off off Broadway play. You won’t be disappointed.

Review by Rozanna Radakovich.