In 40 Weeks, we first meet Angie sitting dejected and alone on a park bench in New York City, smoking a cigarette in the pouring rain. A tall, handsome stranger, Mark, jogs over, bums a cigarette, and strikes up a conversation, much to her dismay. He proposes that they go to a bar around the corner and drink all day; she agrees, under the condition that they don’t have to talk about what’s troubling her. Five years later, they’re married — and the cracks begin to show when Angie discovers she is pregnant.
Angie, played by Megan Hart, is one of those high-achievers with perfect hair — she’s a doctor working at a non-profit clinic — while her husband, played by Jorge Cordova, is a not-yet-published writer who makes cold calls for cash. Anxious to be the father as provider, Mark tries to get a “real” job; when that fails, he decides to sell his novel direct to readers for $20 — on the subway. Time for Angie to rekindle an old flame? Oh, yes. The sassy, opinionated Molly, played by Michelle David, blows into town — there’s a real connection between her and Angie, who parted ways, painfully, on that rainy day, years ago.
For a play about relationships, it’s not surprising that 40 Weeks contains lots of talking, talking and more talking. Mark and Angie argue about whether their child should go to church; Angie and Molly reminisce about old times and get intimate; Mark admits his fears about becoming a father to his friend Scott, played by Ronan Babbitt; Molly starts dating Scott, who is considered to be a player. To add to the conversation, there’s Kelly, played by Deanna Sidoti, who does her best to offer relationship advice to both Mark and Scott.
Michael Henry Harris has crafted a very relevant first play, capturing the mind-boggling delicacies and complications of human bonds, but with the psychological analyses and sharing of feelings clocking in at around two hours, his baby is a little overcooked. Still, 40 Weeks is a nicely presented package under the direction of Danton Stone, especially with sound designer Josh Liebert’s perfect choice of moody pop song sound bites. And there’s plenty to laugh at — particularly Mark’s valiant readings of his doomed manuscript, “Afternoons in Albany,” to subway commuters, who, as we know, just aren’t paying attention.
Written by Michael Henry Harris; Directed by Danton Stone; InViolet Repertory Theater Company, Fourth Street Theater, 83 East 4th Street; invioletrep.com
