Review: PORT AUTHORITY at Imago Theatre

Three men from different generations are in a train station – not coming or going, just there, as life goes on around them, pondering someone, or something, that got away. Conor McPherson’s PORT AUTHORITY, now playing at Imago Theatre, tells the quietly heartbreaking stories of three Irish men who have suffered a loss. As they recount their stories – to the audience not to each other – it becomes clear that they are also lost.

Twentysomething Kevin (played by Mikhail Duggan) moves out on his own for the first time – with no job, no plans – into a house with three roommates, one of with whom he shares a brief, but meaningful connection. Dermot (Matthew Sunderland) has a brush with career success, before everything comes crashing down. Joe (Tory Mitchell), an elderly man living in a nursing home, receives a package that reminds him of an encounter with a woman long ago. The stories are alternatingly sad, bittersweet, and funny – perfectly crafted to resonate with anyone who has ever experienced hope, loss, regret, embarrassment, i.e., all of us.

The production, directed by Jerry Mouawad, is minimal – some benches, sparse lighting, a few sound effects – so it relies on the strength of the performances. Of the three, Duggan is the standout. He exudes the freshness and idealism of youth coupled with the disillusionment of learning that the real world is much less glamorous than it seems from afar.

As with McPherson’s other work, the language is the real star. It reels you in and makes you care deeply about simple, ordinary, broken people. If you’re a fan of monologues, this is one you’ll definitely want to see. Get there in advance for the excellent pre-show soundtrack of 90s Irish rock.

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