The LSU Theatre Lab’s season opener, “The Sky Watchers,” will have audiences pondering whether a relationship may be defined by a collection of moments. The quirky love story charts the growth of a high school relationship as it is tested with euphoric highs and melancholic lows.
The play, directed by theatre senior Sophie Mauffray-Howell, is set almost entirely on the rooftop of the young couple’s apartment building. Ben and Amy, portrayed by theatre sophomores Spencer Labelle and Dora Pereli, are the only actors in the 80-minute love story.
The well-crafted, yet simple set provided enough different vantage points to give the play variety. Pedestrian wardrobe gave the actors a high school look. More importantly, neither the set nor the wardrobe distracted from the main focus of the play – the acting.
Serious subjects like illness, death and religion are explored in detail by the twosome. Well-placed comedic breaks and silly flirting kept the play lighthearted and saved it from becoming emotionally overwrought.
Mauffray-Howell said the play’s heartfelt tone will distinguish it from other lab plays, which she characterized as often darker or more intellectual.
“I love this play because it focuses on the importance of having someone to be there for you,” Mauffray-Howell said.
If it sounds sappy, it is, but in a way that is relatable rather than cheesy. A first kiss, prom, college applications and other milestones in the course of the relationship fill the theatre with an air of nostalgia as audience members harken back to their youth.
The play’s pacing is fast, with some scenes lasting just long enough for Ben to disclose a romantic thought or Amy to share a private fear. Musical interludes between scenes aided the show’s continuity by preserving the weight of emotions from prior dialogue.
The White Stripes’ “We’re Going To Be Friends,” and Ingrid Michaelson’s “Can’t Help Falling In Love,” among other acoustic ditties lend the performance a first-love atmosphere.
While charging two actors with keeping an audience entertained was risky, Labelle and Pereli share an obvious chemistry on stage. The two turn in a performance that feels honest, and more importantly, is able to convey vulnerability.
The enduring power of love is front and center in this play. The students weather hardships beyond the thoughts of most high school students. Several plot twists keep the performance free from the predictable themes of adolescent romance and angst.
“The Sky Watchers” runs Sept. 11 through 16 in the College of Music & Dramatic Arts’ Studio Theatre. The show is $10 and begins at 7:30 p.m. with the exception of a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday.
