Review: LUNGS at The Weekend Theater in Little Rock

The Weekend Theater has officially began their 34th season, and they are kicking things off with a production that gives audiences plenty to talk about on the way home. Duncan MacMillan’s LUNGS, directed by Hunter Whitfield and running through August 23, strips the storytelling down to two actors, one relationship, and one enormous question: should we have a baby? Starring Drew Reynolds as W and Lawrence Blake as M, this fast-paced conversation takes that seemingly simple question and turns it into an emotional roller coaster of love, anxiety, responsibility, and what it means to bring another human being into an already complicated world.

The premise sounds simple enough. A young couple begins talking about whether they should have a child, but nothing about that decision proves simple. They worry about climate change, overpopulation, their careers, their relationship, whether they would be good parents, and whether having a child is ultimately an act of hope or selfishness. Before long, one conversation begins exposing much bigger questions about who these two people are, what they want from life, and whether they truly want the same future.

What makes LUNGS especially fascinating is that Macmillan does not allow his characters (or his audience) to hide behind elaborate scenery or theatrical spectacle. This is an evolving discussion, and we are right there in the middle of it. At The Weekend Theater, whose intimate space is perfectly suited for this kind of storytelling, there is nowhere for Reynolds and Blake to hide. Every hesitation, glance, interruption, uncomfortable silence, and emotional shift matters. With only two people carrying the entire story, the success of the production depends heavily on the connection between them, and Reynolds and Blake are completely committed to taking us through every high and low of this relationship.

Drew Reynolds has an enormous amount to carry as W. The character’s brain seems to move faster than her mouth can possibly keep up, jumping from one thought to another as she tries to reason her way through decisions that cannot necessarily be solved through reason. Reynolds embraces that nervous energy while still allowing us to see the vulnerability underneath it. W can be exhausting, funny, contradictory, deeply caring, and completely overwhelmed, sometimes within the same conversation. Reynolds embraces all of those layers and allows the audience feel those feelings with them.

Opposite W, Lawrence Blake gives M a grounded presence that works beautifully against W’s rapid-fire thought process. However, he is certainly not simply standing there waiting for her to finish talking. His character has fears, frustrations, desires, and shortcomings of his own, and Blake allows those emotions to gradually reveal themselves. There are times when you sympathize with him completely and other times when you want to reach onto the stage and smack him.

And that chemistry is essential because LUNGS belongs entirely to these two performers. Reynolds and Blake have to make us believe that these people have shared a life beyond what we see onstage. They interrupt each other, tease each other, frustrate each other, hurt each other, and still somehow make us understand why they were drawn together in the first place. Watching their relationship change as life continues moving forward is where much of the emotional power of the production comes from.

Director Hunter Whitfield wisely trusts his actors and Macmillan’s words. There is no need to overwhelm this story with theatrical distractions. Instead, Whitfield keeps our attention firmly on W and M, allowing their changing emotional dynamic to drive the evening. With a play this intimate, even the smallest reaction becomes significant, and Whitfield gives Reynolds and Blake room to explore those moments.

The Weekend Theater has built its reputation on theatre that encourages audiences to laugh, cry, think, and engage with stories that may not always provide comfortable answers, and LUNGS is a fitting way to begin its 34th season. Season 34 also welcomes Caleb Patton as the new Artistic Director, as past Artistic Director David Weatherly steps away from the role. Though I am a fan of Weatherly and his creative vision, I am eager to see Patton step into this leadership position and watch where his own artistic vision takes The Weekend Theater in this exciting new chapter.

If you enjoy theatre that sparks conversation long after the actors have left the stage, LUNGS is one to see. Drew Reynolds and Lawrence Blake fearlessly carry this emotionally demanding two-hander, and under Hunter Whitfield’s direction, they take audiences through the messy, funny, heartbreaking, and sometimes maddening realities of sharing a life with another person. You may not agree with every decision these characters make (I certainly didn't), but that is part of what makes their story so compelling.

LUNGS continues at The Weekend Theater in Little Rock through August 23. Get your tickets at www.weekendtheater.org.

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