The Timing of a Day

Tickets and Information

Stop for a moment, breathe, take it all in.
The regret that is painfully felt when wishing something could have be done to prevent a tragedy or when opportunities are lost to fall in love, takes hold in Owen Panettieri?s sweetly toned ?The Timing of a Day?. The question specifically raised by the playwright is the investigation of ?..timing and expectation, and how while waiting for the former to fall into place, we often have to readjust the latter?. Thankfully, what is satisfying, we are not given characters spewing heavy handed, philosophical discourse in pursuit of the answer, but instead we are treated to 100 delightful minutes with good friends, who for anyone that has lived in NYC with roommates they actually liked, will recognize, instantly feel welcomed and care for deeply. If , for any other reason, this makes ?Timing? a success. That, and the opportunity to see mid-twenty something, unknown actors, R. Elizabeth Woodard, Nik Kourtis, Miguel Govea embracing each moment as keenly, as richly layered, as any respected actor working today. The story, other than the ?event?, -no spoiler here, appears to be on the surface, mundane, uneventful. Josh, played with boyish sensitivity by Miguel Govea and his gay roommate Dougie, performed with delicious sweetness but acerbic guardedness by Nik Kourtis, have the need for a third roommate. Josh intends for it to be a girl he works with at his children?s theater company, thereby setting up a meeting for Dougie?s approval. Enter, R. Elizabeth Woodard?s effervescent Paige. What develops next is the bond and support mechanism, of three friends trying to make it in the city, dealing with relationships, especially one thematic moment when the two boys get simultaneously dumped by their significant others, and Paige dumps her on again, off again boyfriend, ? Paige exclaims ?All at the same time, what are the chances?? What?s specific to how this story is told is the time-line. It takes place over two years, from 2007 to 2009, but without a linear context. Beginning in 2009 with the opening scene and the closing scene, with the six middle scenes filling in parts of different days of the two years. The second piece of this structure is the sunrise to sunrise aspect. Seven scenes form different parts of the day from sunrise to sunrise. Because of the time-line date, we spend one evening during election night, with Paige and Dougie, thrilled with Obama?s victory and the ?hope? of the future. Josh has gone to bed, much to the disappointment of Paige, for there has always been the hope that Paige and Josh could be together. But this play is in part about missed opportunities, so on the night of all nights as the world celebrates this victory, with ?hope? in mind and intense feelings in the present, the big picture for Paige and Josh, passes them by. At times, the tight script and conversational flow feels reminiscent of ?Friends? meets many wondrous evenings spent drinking with your own friends, getting drunk, making fools of oneself, putting the move on mistakenly, waking up with a hangover laced with regret ? but through it all with the harsh city right outside, good friends, remain. Sadly, as to Panettieri?s point, these moments must be cherished, because life can deliver unexpected blows for which timing is never part of the equation. So to that, as some surprises can leave a disturbing effect, there are some that can offer joy, and must be appreciated, this play belongs to the latter. This is the gift of Black Box theater, sometimes what?s inside is an inexpensive thrill.

Reviewed by Nick Hetherington on Wednesday, Apr 13th, 2011

Stop for a moment, breathe, take it all in.
The regret that is painfully felt when wishing something could have be done to prevent a tragedy or when opportunities are lost to fall in love, takes hold in Owen Panettieris sweetly toned "The Timing of a Day". The question specifically raised by the playwright is the investigation of "..timing and expectation, and how while waiting for the former to fall into place, we often have to readjust the latter". Thankfully, what is satisfying, we are not given characters spewing heavy handed, philosophical discourse in pursuit of the answer, but instead we are treated to 100 delightful minutes with good friends, who for anyone that has lived in NYC with roommates they actually liked, will recognize, instantly feel welcomed and care for deeply. If , for any other reason, this makes "Timing" a success. That, and the opportunity to see mid-twenty something, unknown actors, R. Elizabeth Woodard, Nik Kourtis, Miguel Govea embracing each moment as keenly, as richly layered, as any respected ac

Reviewed by Nick Hetherington on Wednesday, Apr 13th, 2011