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Lost in translation
"Barcelona' at People's Light: Americans abroad, again
The cultural divide between Americans and Europeans has long provided fertile material for artists on both sides of the Atlantic. It was probably explored most incisively in the novels of Henry James and most humorously in Leo McCarey's wonderful 1935 screen comedy, Ruggles of Red Gap.
Barcelona, Bess Wohl's two-character play currently receiving its world premiere at People's Light, is only a middling addition to the canon, but it does provide juicy roles for a pair of talented actors.
Barcelona begins well enough. Irene (Julianna Zinkel), a young American in Barcelona for a wild bridesmaids' party, has met Manuel (Robert Montano), a handsome, middle-aged Spaniard, in a bar. He has brought her back to his dingy walk-up apartment for a night of casual sex, but Irene is much too drunk even for that. She babbles on, much to Manuel's irritation, and he makes disparaging comments about Americans, noting that terrorists struck Madrid in 2004 because of Spain's support for America's war in Iraq.
As they banter back and forth about the differences between them, Manuel confesses that he's married but deeply estranged from his wife. He compares his heart to a stone; she compares hers to a frisky puppy dog. That bridesmaids' party, it turns out, was thrown for her, and now she's out for one last fling before her wedding. But it becomes increasingly apparent that the prospect of marriage terrifies her, and in any case she doesn't really love her fiancé.
Further sharp plot twists and shocking revelations unfold, and Wohl eventually carries these a bit too far for believability. By the end, Barcelona has deteriorated into a contrived melodrama.
Wohl does possess a knack for dialogue and nicely fleshes out her characters. Zinkel, in particular, displays considerable range as Irene. She does a good, annoying, flighty drunk at the outset and later shows us a woman's pain, vulnerability and compassion.
Montano makes a smooth Latin lover, and he's very funny when registering his exasperation at Irene's behavior. Then he effectively handles the transition when Manuel opens up and reveals himself as a deeply wounded man.
These two fine performers deserved a more consistent showcase.
Barcelona, Bess Wohl's two-character play currently receiving its world premiere at People's Light, is only a middling addition to the canon, but it does provide juicy roles for a pair of talented actors.
Barcelona begins well enough. Irene (Julianna Zinkel), a young American in Barcelona for a wild bridesmaids' party, has met Manuel (Robert Montano), a handsome, middle-aged Spaniard, in a bar. He has brought her back to his dingy walk-up apartment for a night of casual sex, but Irene is much too drunk even for that. She babbles on, much to Manuel's irritation, and he makes disparaging comments about Americans, noting that terrorists struck Madrid in 2004 because of Spain's support for America's war in Iraq.
As they banter back and forth about the differences between them, Manuel confesses that he's married but deeply estranged from his wife. He compares his heart to a stone; she compares hers to a frisky puppy dog. That bridesmaids' party, it turns out, was thrown for her, and now she's out for one last fling before her wedding. But it becomes increasingly apparent that the prospect of marriage terrifies her, and in any case she doesn't really love her fiancé.
Further sharp plot twists and shocking revelations unfold, and Wohl eventually carries these a bit too far for believability. By the end, Barcelona has deteriorated into a contrived melodrama.
Wohl does possess a knack for dialogue and nicely fleshes out her characters. Zinkel, in particular, displays considerable range as Irene. She does a good, annoying, flighty drunk at the outset and later shows us a woman's pain, vulnerability and compassion.
Montano makes a smooth Latin lover, and he's very funny when registering his exasperation at Irene's behavior. Then he effectively handles the transition when Manuel opens up and reveals himself as a deeply wounded man.
These two fine performers deserved a more consistent showcase.
What, When, Where
Barcelona. By Bess Wohl; Jackson Gay directed. Through June 30, 2013 at People’s Light & Theatre Company, 39 Conestoga Rd., Malvern, Pa. (610) 644-3500 or peopleslight.org.
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