Broadway Review: “Constellations”

Have you ever wondered about the paths in life you chose not to take? What would your life be like if you didn’t take that job, if you mustered the courage to flirt with the guy on the subway, if you moved to another state? In Nick Payne’s short but haunting “Constellations”, two actors bring all the possibilities of their relationship to life.

Performed with no set, props, or costume changes, “Constellations” is the story (or should I say: stories) of Roland (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Marianne (Ruth Wilson). The play takes place across the multiverse, and flings the couple through space and time to explore the multitude of paths their lives could take. There is some scientific talk about the infinite universes that exist for every possible choice we make (Marianne is a physicist), but there’s no need to master high concepts to enjoy the play.

We start with a scene at a party where the two first meet. The song and dance of their flirtations repeats several times with different outcomes. In one version of the scene, the seduction is unsuccessful and the story ends abruptly. Other replays show the pair getting to know one another, discussing their passions, and ultimately going home together. There are about six total scenes that get replayed to show the various routes the couple may take.

I don’t mean to make you think you’ll be watching the same boring thing over and over again. Nick Payne has crafted some snappy and naturalistic dialogue for each variation. The script puts more weight on the journey than the destination of each scene. I sat fascinated as I watched how a single changed line or intonation altered a scene in dramatic fashion.

This style certainly puts the focus on the actors, and Gyllenhaal and Wilson do not disappoint. Both of the catapult through emotions on a dime, as the variations switch from comical to heartbreaking. It is most impressive watching the pair find new tactics on each repeat. I could have watched Gyllenhaal’s marriage proposal attempts for hours, watching him with suave confidence one minute and paralyzing fear the next. Ruth Wilson is a brilliant physical performer, and displays comedic timing fans of hers from “The Affair” wouldn’t see otherwise. But it’s in a particularly brutal development at the plays end where she shines brightest. You won’t be able to take your eyes off her.

Director Michael Longhurst succeeds at keeping all these realities clear in the minds of the audience. It’s an impressive feat considering the sometimes breakneck pacing. In a snap, actors change position and demeanor and hurl themselves into a new world. Some striking lighting work from Lee Curran, surrounding the playing space with illuminated balloons, helps to delineate the various universes.

In just over one hour, you will watch the couple flirt, fight, dance, cheat, break up, and brave impossible struggles together. Payne allows Roland and Marianne to grow closer in each scene, and as a result, the audience grows closer to them as well. By the time the evening is over, I was completely enthralled and invested in both characters as if I knew them personally. Each and every version of them.