In a messy trailer somewhere off I-90 in Northern Idaho, a couple of aging baby boomers talk shop over stacks of back copies of a newspaper for long-haul truckers. They discuss layout, format, features, distribution, personal ads. The paper, called “The Few,” is now a struggling concern, although it once served as a lifeline, offering a sense of connection to lonely, isolated readers.
The strained history of the two, Bryan (Michael Morgan) and QZ (Lindsey Pierce), becomes apparent as they trade curt words and long stares. He walked out on her four years earlier with no explanation.
by , transports the audience to distant imagined highways and rest stops even as it keeps its characters trapped in a claustrophobic newspaper production office. An answering machine regularly picks up calls from lonely singles dictating “in search of” ads.
“Hello love seekers! You’ve reached the message line for The Few’s personal ad section….”
The responses illustrate far-flung solo lives in transit.
“Danny callin’ again… Looking for lady co-pilot to navigate end times. Spacious bunker with comfortable bed, running water, tape deck… Me: over 60. You: under 40. Let’s ride!”
Set in the pre-Y2K era of clunky desktop computers and Tetris, the story conveys complex life histories through a deceptively simple structure.
The BETC production, directed by features a fully committed cast of three: Bryan and QZ are joined by Matthew (John Hauser), a gay young man who ends his sentences with question marks. “I’ve, uh. I’ve been working here a few years now?” he tells Bryan on first meeting.
Matthew is the nephew of Jim, a co-creator of the paper with Bryan and QZ. Matthew reveres them for having launched the paper, even though The Few is a ghost of its former self. Sure, it’s downsized and the horoscopes are made up, but it still serves as connective tissue for a community.
The play is a study of damaged lives, loneliness and the relief humans can offer one another. In the sadness and isolation of the characters there are echoes of the playwright’s “The Whale,” about a terribly lonely obese man. Here, Hunter’s characters seek a more literal “community forum.” In fact, Bryan gathers jugs of wine in expectation that a community will show up.
As QZ, Pierce evolves from gruff and cold to warm and even optimistic, letting a sense of humor beam through the hurt. Morgan rages as Bryan, revealing many shades of bitterness and anger at his friend Jim’s death. Both grow from unappealing to endearing as the play progresses.
The earnest Matthew is determined to revive the paper, eager to coax Bryan to write, even if he has to padlock the door and hold Bryan at gunpoint. It’s a BB gun, but still. Hauser plays the character as appropriately needy and idealistic.
The community forum never quite materializes. Yet there is hope that some connections have been made.
The room becomes a way station for the characters on their journeys, and indeed, a rest stop for reflection for those of us who spend time with them before heading out on the road.
Joanne Ostrow: 303-954-1830 or jostrow@denverpost.com
“THE FEW”
By Samuel D. Hunter. Directed by Kate Folkins. Featuring John Hauser, Michael Morgan and Lindsey Pierce. Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company.Through Nov. 15 at the Dairy Center for the Arts, Thu.-Sat. 7:30 p.m., Sun. 4 p.m. Tickets $16-27. Call 303-444-7328 or online .
