A LOVING PAIR: (L-R) Jim Stanek and Jordan Baker in the touching drama, “Night Sky.” (Carol Rosegg)
Anna (Jordan Baker) is a respected astronomer who teaches, publishes, and is always pushing herself to the limit—so much so she sometimes neglects the needs of her family.
Said family consists of teenage daughter Jennifer (Lauren Ashley Carter) and longtime live-in opera singer boyfriend Daniel (Jim Stanek). Anna’s continual prodding is also the reason Daniel's career is finally starting to take off.
Anna is more intense than usual because of an important paper she will present in a few months. However, all this changes after she's involved in a major automobile accident. In the hospital, she learns the portion of her brain that regulates speech has been damaged, leaving her with a condition called aphasia: Her mind will think of a word, but what comes out of her mouth is completely different.
RECOVERY: (L-R) Maria-Christina Oliveras and Jordan Baker in Susan Yankowitz's “Night Sky.” (Carol Rosegg)
However, as she begins to improve, her old, forceful personality returns, once again causing friction in her relationships and bringing up unresolved problems she never took time to face. Thus the question becomes not if she will go on, but with whom.
In addition to putting a human face on aphasia, the show makes it clear that it's not enough to think another person knows how you feel about them (be it a lover, daughter, friend, etc.). There are times it needs to be said—something Anna learns to do only after the accident when she is forced to reassess her life and her priorities.
Yankowitz deserves credit in crafting an intriguing tale, one offering both a personal and clinical examination of aphasia. This is helped immeasurably by Baker, who wonderfully brings her character to life using a myriad of gestures and expressions to show the helplessness and frustration this formerly "always on top of things" woman is now experiencing.
A very telling moment occurs when, after the accident, Daniel reminds Anna that while he and Jennifer can usually understand what she's saying (having been around her so long, they've developed a sort of verbal shorthand), others cannot decipher her meanings as easily and, since he cannot "read her mind," she needs to tell him when to step in and when to back off.
However, the full force of this condition comes across when another patient (Dan Domingues) is reciting a children's story in an attempt to learn to talk again. In the midst of this, he suddenly breaks down, crying out (in halting speech) how he once could recite from such works as "War and Peace" and "King Lear" and is now reduced to this.
The script also drops in some interesting medical and scientific information, such as the fact that the part of the brain related to music is separate from the part that processes speech—a realization that reveals Anna really does care about Daniel’s career.
The entire cast works quite well in bringing the story to life. In addition to Baker, who turns in an excellent performance, Stanek is good as her companion/lover/caregiver who, although he loves her dearly, may finally be reaching his breaking point.
Carter is fine as the daughter, about to have a senior prom and forced to grow up faster than expected. Temporarily, at least, she is forced to switch mother and child roles with Anna.
Tuck Milligan is believable as Anna's friend and co-worker, who finds himself unable to visit her after the accident, afraid of what to say or how to react.
Direction by Daniella Topol is strong, and other than an interminable 10–15 minute opening sequence establishing the characters (information that could easily have been folded into the play after the accident), the entire play is quite thought provoking and very good indeed.
Also in the cast is Maria-Christina Oliveras.
This production is presented by Power Productions New York Inc. and the National Aphasia Association.
Night Sky
Rose Nagelberg Theatre at the Baruch Performing Arts Center
55 Lexington Avenue
Tickets: 212-352-3101 or www.nightskytheplay.com
Running Time: 2 hours, 10 minutes
Closes: June 20
Judd Hollander is the New York correspondent for the London publication, The Stage.
