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‘Last Five Years’ uses unusual means of storytelling
By Lorraine wardle
SALEM
While some community theaters like to open the season with old familiar shows, others opt for the fresh and new. Salem Community Theater chose the latter route, kicking off with “The Last Five Years,” a fairly new work by Jason Robert Brown.
“The Last Five Years” is a beautiful musical with a simple premise: Jamie and Cathy, two twenty-somethings in New York City, have a relationship that lasts for five years. Through song, the audience is given glimpses into some of the couple’s private moments.
The hook is that the story is told from two different perspectives. While Jamie’s story is told chronologically, Cathy’s is shown in reverse.
The play begins with Cathy realizing that their relationship is over. Then we see Jamie, five years prior, excited to be starting a new relationship.
As director Michael Dempsey explained, the play is more a “theatrical song cycle than a traditional musical.” The two actors take turns singing, alone in their respective time periods. Though they rarely interact, the connection between the two is evident. Even when one actor is absent from the stage, we feel their presence and share their emotions.
When Jamie and Cathy first meet, he is an aspiring novelist and she is a struggling actress. Shortly after they begin dating, Jamie’s career takes off, while Cathy’s falters. Each one tries to be supportive of the other, but their insecurities get the best of them. Through their vignettes, we experience their ups and downs, their excitements and disappointments, all the while knowing the inevitable ending.
With only two actors in the production, it is vital that they be strong performers. Neely Gevaart, as Catherine, and Trey Gilpin, as Jamie, rose to the challenge. The two actors each created a completely believable, complex character with a range of emotions and a healthy touch of humor.
Gevaart and Gilpin are also gifted singers. Their strong voices and characterizations added to the authenticity of their performances.
Brown’s musical score has a deceptively simple sound. The ever-flowing and changing music combined with his clever lyrics to create a moving, intimate score. Music director Alex Marr carried every song with his piano, while the string instruments in his band evoked haunting emotion.
The simple set design by Craig Snay allowed the production to move seamlessly through many different times and places, while dates projected on the back wall helped the audience follow the unusual time structure.
“The Last Five Years” continues at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday at Salem Community Theatre, 490 E. State St., Salem. For reservations, call 330-332-9688.