You can’t take back what you’ve said; but if you believe in a multiverse, endless parallel dimensions exist where you said something slightly different, or with a different tone, or you never existed at all.
Constellations written by Nick Payne and directed by Desdemona Chiang gives the audience the power to peer into those parallel dimensions at a few key moments in a British couples’ relationship. Marianne and Roland, expertly acted by Alexandra Tavares and Max Gordon Moore, have an often tumultuous, sometimes happy, and always complex relationship that we get to see portions of play out in different ways.
Though extremely engrossing and emotional, the repeated scenes shown across dimensions is a bit, well, repetitive, and I’m not sure the show had much to convey besides an interesting existential concept. Nevertheless, the Seattle Rep puts on a great show as always, and the versatile performances by Tavares and Gordon Moore may move you to tears, and will definitely make you question everything you’ve ever done.
Constellations by Nick Payne, directed by Desdemona Chiang. Seattle Repertory Theatre 155 Mercer St. 7:30PM Tue-Sat, 2:00PM Sun Jan. 22-Feb 21. Tickets at seattlerep.org