Theatre Review: "I and You" at Naugatuck Valley Community College

Waterbury - The Naugatuck Valley Community College Arts Department and The Stage Society presented their first in-person production since the pandemic required them to essentially close their Mainstage Theater stage to the public in Oct. of 2019. While the college was able to host smaller events and produce theater like “Pippin” and “She Kills Monsters: Virtual Realms” to audiences virtually, director Sasha Bratt correctly stated that “nothing quite compares to live theater.”

The director chose Lauren Gunderson’s play “I and You” for the first live production, and during his curtain speech shared a letter from the playwright wishing the students a successful run.

This expertly-written piece takes place in the here and now in Caroline’s room as Anthony storms in to recruit her to work on a Walt Whitman project for school involving the pronouns in the poetry...and the project is due tomorrow. Gunderson uses two seventeen-year-old students to tell a captivating story about fear, loss, death, hope, excitement, beauty, and much more. The two characters are going through trials, much like our struggles during the past 18 months, and their experience and insights matter more than their age does.

Of course, the story is about more than Whitman’s poetry, although it definitely plays into the conversation of the two young adults. To call the ending a surprise is an understatement, but upon reflection, I should have at least suspected a twist, for a hint was given. Personally, I was glad that I had not anticipated the final scene that was impressively handled by the director with lighting and the set pieces designed by Bill Cone, who has been working in the department for 40 of its 50 years. This one was truly a work of art in its design.

Josh Rodis, who played the role of Anthony, is a frequent performer with local stages, both in the pit and on the stage. At the college, he was part of “Persephone,” “Next to Normal,” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream, ” as well as one part of the sound team for “Pippin.” He has appeared at the Thomaston Opera House in “Grease” and “Heathers The Musical.” Rodis is currently studying music, theatre and audio production.

The actor is very convincing in the role of the young man in this piece, bringing just the right amount of charm to the role. He also brought out the love that his character has for the poetry of Whitman as he tried to convince his project partner of its depth.

Molly Riley, a fifth-year student at NVCC, matches her scene partner in her performance. In her program bio, she describes the role as “one of such immense challenge and reward.” She thanks Bratt for “his direction, and for fostering an environment of care, connection, intellect, and play which allowed us to find and sound our barbaric yawps,” a quote from Whitman’s poem.

The young actress’ performance reflected the environment created by her director and made us believe that she was Molly, dealing with a physical illness and its emotional effects. The two performers worked very hard during the 90-minute performance, presented without intermission, and often involving rapid-fire dialogue.

Lighting designed by the tech coordinator Jonathan Curns enhanced Cone’s set. Brian Kelly was the sound supervisor, assisted by Chris Varanko, and their work involved some music clips. Costumes designed by Lisa Bebey were the perfect choices.

The members of the audience were seated in chairs set up in the backstage area of The Mainstage in order to facilitate the ending of the play, making this a special experience for those who appreciate a look backstage. Masks were required while indoors at all times and even the two actors performed while wearing a mask.

The college continues to celebrate 50 years of theater. Next up will be a NVCC Musical Theater Showcast on Nov. 18 and 19 at 7:30 in The Mainstage Theater and “Ubu Slash” running Dec. 9-11 in the Playbox Theater.

Nancy Sasso Janis has been writing theatre reviews since 2012 as a way to support local theatre venues. She posts reviews of well over 100 productions each year. In 2016, she became a member of the Connecticut Critics Circle. She continues to contribute theatre news, previews, and audition notices to local Patch sites. Reviews of all levels of theatrical productions are posted on Naugatuck Patch and the Patch sites closest to the venue. She recently became a contributor to the Waterbury Republican-American newspaper. Her weekly column and theatre reviews appear in the Thursday Weekend section of the paper.

Follow the reviewer on her Facebook pages Nancy Sasso Janis: Theatre Reviewer and on Twitter @nancysjanis417 Check out the NEW CCC Facebook page.