‘Constellations’ At The Athenaeum

Constellations is a play made of fifty stories. Or fifty stories made into a play. Either way, a new version of the two-hander by Nick Payne is at The Athenaeum Center in Lincoln Park. It stars Kaylah Crosby and Christian Davis Aldridge, who fill the room with perfect energy.

Together, they turn the performance into a never-ending walk around the block. Home is always near, but the path keeps changing. End of the day, a delightful adventure. “The story is primarily about this romance, this relationship,” says director JR Sullivan. “It’s very uplifting.”

MARIANNE AND ROLAND
Crosby plays a physicist named Marianne. Aldridge is a beekeeper named Roland. They meet at a barbecue five separate times during the first scene. But in each instance, the reality outside the barbecue is different. Marianne strikes up a conversation. Roland tells her that he is seeing someone. Marianne strikes up a conversation. Roland is dealing with a breakup. Then Roland mentions a wife. Then Roland’s wife is at the barbecue. Finally, Marianne strikes up a conversation, and Roland joins it. 

Things reassemble quickly after each scenario. The lights go dark. The actors find their marks. The lights go up. They do it again. Five variations in the first few minutes. Like speed dating through alternate realities with the same person. Over and over again.

“The actors are just so attuned to each other’s moves intonations nuances,” says Sullivan. “It’s something of an athletic achievement to pull this play off because of its changes.” 

It’s also a joy to experience. I saw Constellations on a Saturday night with my girlfriend. It was the headlining performance of a weekend event produced by The Athenaeum Center.

ENTANGLED BEAUTY
The event was titled, Entangled Beauty: Conversations on Quantum Science. It began with a lecture by Loyola professor Constantin Rasinariu, PhD. Dr. Rasinariu simplified the topic by repeating that quantum physics is the study of very small things. Very small things. I gained a quantum physics-level understanding of quantum physics. 

Science also plays a role in Constellations, but you don’t have to be a scholar to follow along. Roland the beekeeper doesn’t quite understand Marianne’s job as a quantum cosmologist. “I think it’s something to do with space,” he says. She responds in simple terms. “I spend most of my time in front of a computer.” The do-overs continue. Her explanation begins to include atoms, molecules and string theories. Finally, she tells him, “at any given moment, several outcomes can co-exist simultaneously.” 

So, we’re dealing with a multiverse. Well deserved. Totally cool. But not the overriding theme. Constellations is first and foremost a love story. It’s about the evolution of a relationship. Jitters turning into affection. Second dates and flirtation. Tender moments, speed bumps and reflection. Crosby and Aldridge pull it off with impeccable flair. They make it real. 

THE SEARCH FOR MEANING
According to Athenaeum Center Executive Director Lawrence Daufenbach, the concept aligns perfectly with the organization’s mission. “The theme of our season this year is ‘the search for meaning,’” he says. “We’re inviting people not just attend but to investigate beautiful and urgent questions about who we are and what we are and what lies just beyond our reach.”

Most of Loyola’s Entangled Beauty seminar occupied a room that felt like an upscale library. There were pen and ink prints on the walls. Nude sculptures by a grand piano. We learned about Heisenberg and Schrödinger. We saw quantum artistry as a blueprint for dance. Knowledge rained down like blocks in Tetris. My girlfriend compared us to cats trying to understand English. Our friend said meow. 

The building itself is a hundred-year-old structure next to St. Alphonsus Catholic Church. It also contains a grand theater with an orchestra pit and lots of velvet. But Constellations took place in a small theater on the third-floor. A black box with ascending rows of chairs. 

This is where Kaylah Crosby and Christian Davis Aldridge guided us through all the what-ifs in life. We got to replay awkward conversations and missed opportunities. Step back. Start over. Do it again. That’s how they hooked us. That’s how they stopped being actors and started being our friends. We loved it. 

If only one of them would say the right thing and the other would understand. If only they could just connect. If only… 

Luckily, there’s another chance on the way. 

‘Constellations’ runs through October 19 at The Athenaeum Center. For tickets and information, click here.