Bryan has returned from a five-year hiatus, after leaving without a word of explanation. QZ, his best friend and co-editor of The Few (a newspaper for truckers) was left in the lurch, though it’s unclear if she and Bryan were lovers. QZ’s understandably angry. Bryan left abruptly after their best friend, Jim, died in a collision. Now he just appears, with no desire to explain. The Few, a weekly which comforted the beleagured spirit of lonely, subjugated souls, has turned into a paper that is 90% personal ads, and finally turns a profit. QZ has hired a teenager named Matthew, who helps with the demands of the job, and holds Bryan (whom he’s never met) in awe. Matthew pretty much lives at the news office. He was thrown out by his stepdad, who threatened to kill him when he caught him making out with another boy.
Samuel D. Hunter, who wrote Bright New Boise, The Whale and Clarkston, would seem to have a penchant for honoring the lives of desolate individuals: reaching out to one another, in the midst of quiet catastrophe. Sometimes a meaningful connection occurs, sometimes not. Sometimes it lasts, sometimes it doesn’t. Bryan and QZ collaborate on the paper after he returns from a brief odyssey on the road; believing driving for a living would give his life purpose, and the chance to see America. He soon learns the lifestyle makes meaningful contact impossible. The Few gives Bryan and QZ the opportunity to change lives and even enjoy the company of grateful truckers, who come to visit. It’s not UNICEF or The United Way, but it’s the best they’ve got. And it’s not bad.
There is a profound, pervasive sense of despondency and disappointment that suffuses The Few, though Matthew’s optimism tugs at Bryan (and us). Matthew tries to resuscitate the columnist who eased the ache of disaffected humanity. Matthew clearly needs to restore The Few to its earlier, altruistic beginnings, but Bryan is still struggling to emerge from his malaise and make sense of his intense feelings for QZ. Hunter’s drama feels like Horton Foote or William Inge, without the implied nobility of their characters. Not that we don’t like Hunter’s protagonists. They seem to be pushing the hopelessness of the Midwest (and actually, American culture) like a boulder up a mountainside. We root for Matthew because we care for all three of them, and he hasn’t lived long enough to take on so much discouragement. I can’t imagine any play by Mr. Hunter that isn’t worth our time. The devoted actors, director, and crew et al at Resolute Theatre Project are always astonishing, when it comes to performances filled with authenticity, energy and palpable grace.
Resolute Theatre Project presents The Few, playing October 4th-13th. Amy’s Studio of Performing Arts: 11888 Marsh Lane, Suite 600, Dallas, Texas 75234. resolutetheatreproject.com 972-484-7900