BWW Reviews: BRIGHT HALF LIFE Presents a Collage of Relationship Moments

If relationships are made up of moments, playwright Tanya Barfield paints a vivid picture of one by tossing dozens of moments into the laps of viewers at Bright Half Life.

The story of Erica (Rebecca Henderson) and Vicky (Rachael Holmes) isn't a remarkable one. They meet while Erica is temping at Vicky's office, go on some dates, fall in love, commit to each other, have kids and... Well, let's just say there are good times and bad times.

But when the playwright first introduces us to the pair, they're already separated. The 75-minute piece ping-pongs back and forth through the years, giving us a collage of episodes, mere minutes at a time.

We see the mature and steady Vicky trying to help the passionate, but unfocused Erica through her fear of heights on a Ferris wheel date and a skydiving adventure (she's more relaxed bouncing on a bed together), fights about telling parents about their relationship, the decision to have children and attending their daughter's wedding in a non-linear structure, visiting key moments several times. Knowing what will happen in the future enlightens the view of events seen in the past and keeps the audience more invested in the pair.

Under Leigh Silverman's lightly-felt direction, Henderson and Holmes share a comfortable chemistry and make for a believable pair. Though designer Jennifer Schriever alters the lights as the years jump, it's the actors who seamlessly carry the responsibility of quickly taking us to the next episode, subtly adjusting their voices and physicalities.

By slowly piecing together the moments of their lives together, we're continually focused on their relationship as a whole, making Bright Half Life all the more romantic and sometimes all the more tragic.

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