Katerina Dalavurak

Admit it, we’ve all done it: imagined a chance encounter with a former lover or crush.  In the movie playing in our heads, we’ve imagined what we would say, how he would act, and—most importantly—the way he would shake his head sadly, realizing you were the one that got away.

This inner fantasy comes to life in the play Shooting Star, now showing at Trinity Repertory Theatre, in which two former flames reconnect in an airport on a snowy, blustery night when both their flights have been cancelled.

As is to be expected, Reed (played by Kurt Rhoads) and Lena (played by Nance Williamson) couldn’t be more different.  Reed is an uptight Republican businessman with a wife and a daughter, and Lena plays the free-spirited wanderer, complete with a yoga mat and rainstick.

The two met in college, and, after a two-year romance, decided to go their separate ways—only to now meet up again in middle-age.  Through the use of one-liners and witty banter, it is clear that Reed and Lena have chemistry, and it is easy to imagine their fleeting yet passionate romance.

Of course, being the only two people stuck in an empty airport terminal, Reed and Lena are forced to confront their demons.  Pleasantries soon give way to a more interesting discussion, especially when fueled by duty-free liquor from the airport bar.

One of the best exchanges comes at the beginning, in the moments when they both recognize each other but neither wants to be the first to say hello. Lena notes ruefully to the audience that time has forgotten to age Reed while he remarks that she really let herself go.  We can all relate to Lena’s flustering awkwardness when she sees Reed for the first time and wants him to see her doing something interesting.  She unravels her yoga mat in a panic and drops down into a yoga position on the airport floor.

The dialogue is punctuated with monologues by both characters, which reveals different aspects of their relationship from each perspective.  As their dialogue grows more intense, we see how symbols and inside jokes that were funny at the beginning of the relationship reveal a deeper, more complex meaning as their conversation unravels.  For example, Lena owned an old car that would not start if they were going someplace they didn’t want to go.  The two had joked that it was a “mood car,” and knew when to stall.  While the car is remembered fondly by both of them (“we could never get it to your mother’s house!”), the audience finds out through Lena’s monologues that the car held a more bittersweet significance for her that Reed didn’t know about.

Though Lena’s character comes across as clingy as times, this vulnerable side makes her more likeable.  It allows you to see past her tough, nothing-matters façade. When she and Reed dated, we learn that she asked him for an open relationship, but she ended up being the jealous one.  Some of her lines are a bit too contrived (“I would let you have my baggage, Reed, but I want to keep my luggage”), but overall she is convincing as a former wild child who never quite got over her first heartbreak.

As for Reed, his cool demeanor comes across as standoffish, especially compared with Lena’s effervescence.  At times he seems cold and disinterested, while Lena appears to be throwing herself at him. In some scenes it looks as though the relationship was more one-sided, and the audience is left guessing as to whether they both felt the same way.  In the opening monologues, Reed is more embarrassed about their shared past, while Lena remembers him more warmly.  As the play progresses, though, Reed’s initial aloofness melts away to stoic affection, and viewers can see how he valued their time together when he plays “their song” on his laptop.

This clever tale of chance encounters strikes the perfect balance between lightheartedness and yearning.  The fast-talking characters and a dialogue laced with pop culture references keep the plot from dragging. Shooting Star is a fresh, original comedy, and it’s ending will leave you wistful and contemplative, making you look at your own past and the things you would rather not remember.

Shooting Star

Trinity Repertory Theatre

201 Washington St, Providence, RI 02903

Until November 22