"A Safe Passage"

November 5, 2022 — In the confines of a small theater with audience close to players, drama can be very intense. You're part of it. That's the way it is at the Players' Ring in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The theater occupies a portion of a 19th century brick building owned by the city of Portsmouth. The brick-walled theater seats a mere 75 on three sides of a ground-level stage.

Glass Dove Productions was presenting "A Safe Passage," Ireland-based playwright Irene Kelleher's fourth play. Catherine Stewart directed this performance. Tayva Young, whose work has enhanced so many theater KAPOW productions I've enjoyed, did the very effective lighting, an important part of this play. In fact, everyone deserves recognition for tackling the unique challenges of presenting a play in such a small space. Stage design and props were the responsibility of Quentin Stockwell. CJ Lewis was in charge of sound. Corrie Owens-Beauchesne was the stage manager.

The setting is a lighthouse on the Irish coast on New Years Eve, 1979. The cast consists of just two actors. Christy (Andrew Codispoti), a lighthouse keeper who has never gotten over a tragedy in his past, has only occasional radio contact with the shore to keep him company. He takes wind and other readings and reports conditions on the radio, makes notes in his log, paces around the realistic lighthouse on the Ring's small stage with the keeper's desk and communications equipment on one side, a spiral staircase, lanterns, trunks and other clutter scattered around. We have to imagine a view of the sea from one corner that Christy keeps returning to as a storm moves in. He also frequently stops at a small table on which a bottle of Jameson's Irish Whiskey and a glass sit. He examines some papers and pictures on the table, but doesn't drink.

A crash of thunder, flash of lightning and loss of lights plunges the stage and entire theater briefly into darkness, startling the audience. In a dim returning light, a woman (Emily Karel) can be seen standing outside the lighthouse. Christy shouts at her to get off the rocks where she's in grave danger. He finally gets her into the lighthouse. She's cold, wet, wearing rather sexy party attire. He offers her blankets and dry clothes which she refuses. She remains silent as he questions her as to how she got there, her name, her intentions. Could she have been planning suicide? How could that be? He suffered devastating loss but found the will to go on. He radios shore for emergency rescue. There's no response.

When the woman finally gets her voice, she taunts Christy. Their relationship immediately turns hostile. He begins to pour a glass of Jameson's for her, but she grabs the bottle and drinks directly from it. When she urges him to drink, he claims he never touches the stuff. Their conversation becomes increasingly contentious, sometimes leading to physical violence. Christy starts hitting the Jameson's. As I mentioned at the beginning, in the small confines of this theater, the audience almost becomes part of the action, especially with such convincing actors as Codispoti and Karel.

I'm reluctant to describe any more of this tense play for fear of lessening its impact on those who may see it. As Stewart, the director, puts it, when we invite a stranger into our lives our world can be turned upside down, in good or terrible ways.