Rachel Crothers wrote A Little Journey in 1918, and it is set in a Pullman car of a train heading West in 1914. Jonathan Bank's Mint Theater has created something of a masterpiece in this production in classic three act play form. Passengers from vastly different backgrounds are in transition in their lives - some of them footloose, some fancy free, some in inner turmoil, and we become involved with their problems as they become involved with each other.
The writing is strong and clear, and sprinkled with humor that works today as well as any contemporary comedy; the set design by Roger Janna, utilizing a stage-sized turntable, is extraordinary as it becomes a moving train with differentiated sections; costumes by Martha Hally are creatively appropriate with a perfect touch of exaggeration; and best of all is the cast that director Jackson Gay selected: not a weak link - they're all high-level professionals who become their characters. This is Broadway-level stuff in a small, West 43rd Street theater.
The leads, Samantha Soule and McCaleb Burnett shine, especially as she goes through a transition. Rosemary Prinz as a spry deaf old lady is delightful, and Laurie Birmingham's spoiled snob deserves an award. They're all terrific.
There is a startler at the end of Act 2 that shifts and then drives the rest of the play. It is all meticulous work, with perfect timing, and author and director have a profound understanding of the internal processes in people, which shows in this don't-miss production.
