The Visitors

By Joseph Cervelli

You may indeed wonder why is there a tiger on the cover of the Playbill of the piercingly sharp new play by Bryna Turner "The Visitors" at the Second Stage in the Pershing Square Signature Center. Just wait, for the play has a memorable fable that is told by one of the characters at the very end. Sweet and touching and what makes it even better is that it sums up a lot about life. 

The nicely designed set by Kate Noll is a loft in NYC and the residents are a young couple Joanna (the amazing Mary Wiseman) and her partner Naomi (Esco Jouley.) They are both holding a baby and you immediately think it is theirs. They so desperately want to start a family, but there is a serious problem. First, the baby belongs to their somewhat obnoxiously spoiled brother Henry (a really good Will Pullen) who is visiting along with the eldest sister Theresa (the always welcome Celia Keenan-Bolger.) Henry's wife is briefly spoken about but not coming to what you think is some sort of reunion.  Both Theresa and Henry traveled from California. They speak about their one brother Rory (a very fine Danny Wolohan) who has caused the family nothing but grief being a meth addict. Henry especially has an intense dislike for Rory for being what he considers a constant screw-up and never thinking he will get better. And things don't get better when suddenly he appears at the apartment. Why are they all there. Well, Joanna has invited them for a very specific reason.

I don't want to give too much away but it is important to know exactly why they are there. It seems that as much as Joanna wants to be the one to conceive the child,  for Naomi wants a baby but not to be the one to carry it for nine month there is a serious situation here.  Jouley has a difficult role here and she plays it sublimely. Call her the referee or buffer between the siblings. Whatever it may be she is quietly effective. It seems that Joanna will be going for dialysis unless she gets a new kidney. Because of her young age the latter is the solution though the issue is there are over 90,000 people waiting for a kidney. So, who exactly will be the sibling to basically save Joanna's life.

Under Turner's  exceptional funny script one moment and frighteningly fierce the next Henry and Rory break into a physical altercation that is incredibly realistic. Strangely, I did not find any fight instructor listed so I imagine under Jenna Worsham's perfectly on target direction the two actors may have  developed their own explosive moves. 

The three siblings are quite willing to donate their kidneys if there is a match, and they are in the hospital waiting room to go through some physical and emotional tests to see who is best equipped to donate. There is laugher among them when Joanna announces there will be a psych evaluation for that should eliminate both Henry and Rory. 

I won't go any further in discussing whether any of the three are potential donors or have something wrong physically or emotionally that will prevent them from saving Joanna. Turner is such a clever playwright that when you hear the "results" you will find yourself laughing and then suddenly that laughter will subside.

Everything about this play encompassing barbed edge humor and serious moments blend together. You wonder if all four siblings have changed from childhood to better adults. That remains for you to determine.  

Credit is spread around from writing, to direction to the insightful acting to make this one of the best plays of the season, thus far.  

PHOTOS: JOAN MARCUS

Tickets are available at the Second Stage--The Pershing Square Signature Center