Red Masquers navigate turns in ‘Speak Now’

“Speak Now”

Directed by John Lane… “Speak Now”

Directed by John Lane Jr.

Written by Robert Isenberg

Today — Saturday

Peter Mills Theater, Rockwell Hall at Duquesne University

$5 with Student ID

Grade: B

A twisted love triangle, complicated past and Charlie Sheen references all weave together to form the plot of the new play “Speak Now.”

This weekend, the Duquesne University Red Masquers, one of the school’s theater groups, will present the piece  in the Peter Mills Theater in Rockwell Hall on the Duquesne campus. This will be the first time this work by playwright and Pitt alumnus Robert Isenberg, who is in his 30s, will be performed.

The play tells the story of a young couple’s wedding getaway to a remote island that quickly takes a dramatic turn. The majority of the play takes place in one location, but there is a flashback scene to provide background information, helping the audience understand the story.

The characters are all played by Duquesne University students and assume fairly stereotypical roles that the audience could potentially see in other productions, like Kat, played by Becca Hosier. Kat is both the female protagonist and bossy fiancee of Stefan, her pushover future husband, played by Jacob Wadsworth. Still, the enthusiasm of the cast keeps the play lively and carries the somewhat dull and predictable characters through the show.

The play begins with a well-decorated set and a group of three people casually drinking on a dimly lit stage, accented with a set of colorful string lights. Dory, the maid of honor played by Leigh Johnson, sits with Kat and Stefan, the soon-to-be-married couple, on the night before their wedding at a beachfront bar late into the night.

Dory seems crafted for comedic relief but comes off as more loud and obnoxious than funny. Numerous times through the show, she irritatingly brings up her lack of friends other than the engaged couple. When she interacts with the couple, which is less than enthused about its upcoming nuptials, —Dory seems like an attention-seeking third wheel. This gives the group an awkward dynamic The trio comes off as too immature to be realistic young adults.

During the first act, a man sits across the stage from the group in an unlit area and sends a drink to Dory. The audience later learns the gesture was for Kat, who had a past relationship with the mysterious man, Yuri — the hotel owner — played by T.J. Firneno. There are multiple twists like this that let the audience peek into the relationships between the characters as they reflect on romantic entanglements and friendships and the effect these interactions have had on their lives.

The plot of “Speak Now” seems reminiscent of the classic movie “Casablanca” at many points throughout the play. Although it is set in modern times, there are strong traces of “Casablanca” that the audience can easily follow, like the tortured hotel owner, the confused female protagonist and the amusing butler. These characters all have a place in “Speak Now,” and there are numerous parallels that can be drawn between this play and the 1940s film.

The second act begins with an explanatory flashback that reveals much-needed information for the audience, helping it feel sympathetic toward Yuri and Kat’s relationship.

The play then jumps to an earlier point in the play, explaining the events that happen in the 90-minute performance and clearing up some unanswered questions, while showing the audience multiple sides of the complicated story.

Still the play does have a few plot holes that the script never develops. Both Kat and Yuri have deep-seeded problems with their families that they frequently mention but never fully explain, leaving the audience in the dark for the majority of the production.

“Speak Now” has many redeeming qualities and expands throughout many genres, but multiple problems in the plot could confuse audience members, leaving them without a final clarification.