Theater Online - New York Theater Reviews

From the award-winning author of “Mystic River” comes an insightful new

play about love, murder and the uncanny connections between six disparate

characters. Dennis Lehane’s “Coronado” is complex, well written and darkly comic.

The play opens with Gina and Will, two young lovers who are desperate to

be together. In her opening moments, Rebecca Miller renders an interesting

portrait of Gina. As the production progresses, however, Miller’s performance

becomes disconnected; rather than playing the truth of the moment, Miller relies

instead on hysteria and generalized choices to pull her through. At times, she

is difficult to hear, adding to her distracting performance. Lance Rubin as

Will is also difficult to hear, particularly during his quieter moments. Rubin

has clearly done his homework for the role, but he works too hard to prove it.

Punching lines and relying on mannerisms throughout, he fails to bring depth

to his role. Likewise, Kathleen Wallace as the Patient pushes too much and

lives in the moment too little; a clear indication is that she frequently

stumbles over lines.

Dan Patrick Brady delivers a stellar performance as Gina’s seedy husband

Hal. Brady brings charm and charisma to his work, making it difficult to watch

anyone else when he is on stage. Jason Macdonald has a smooth and captivating

vocal quality that enhances his polished portrayal of the Doctor. The Lehane

family is clearly a talented clan; Dennis’ brother, Gerry joins the cast as

Bobby’s father, delivering a seamless and vivacious performance. As the

waitress, Elizabeth Horn gives a well-rounded portrayal; given that her role is the

smallest in the play and that she has no more than 10 lines, Ms. Horn deserves

kudos for her work.

The set, executed by director David Epstein and Ed McNamee, is

unencumbered and makes good use out of the theater’s small space. Epstein’s directing

is clean, sensible and creative, and the lighting design by Driscoll A. Otto is

spot on.

Dennis Lehane clearly delivers with “Coronado”; its jigsaw structure

creates mounting suspense, and Lehane’s poignant mix of tragedy and perverse

humor serve the actors well. The production features some first-rate performances

and dark twists that should not be missed.