2 Boys In A Bed On A Cold Winter's Night Warms Up at Triangle

“You don’t know anything. I could be lying,” says Peter to his lover for the night Darryl in Richmond Triangle Players production of 2 BOYS IN A BED ON A COLD WINTER’S NIGHT. At that precise moment, the play crystallizes and becomes much more than the chronicle of a late night romp between two aroused men. On the surface this searing play seems to be about two strangers who meet, drink, fall in lust and go to one’s apartment to satisfy that urge. But there is so much more lurking beneath the surface of this tight two-character play by James Edwin Parker.

Darryl, as played by Nick Baldock, is a chatty lover; the kind that wakes up in the middle of the night and ask questions about his partner’s life, loves, and beliefs. At first it seems cute and rather ordinary although the intensity of his questioning quickly gives way and exposes his neediness. Baldock is driven and the rollercoaster nature of his conversation is dizzying and the audience wonders when he is going to come off the rails.

Peter, played by Nicholas Wilder, comes off every inch the controlled dominant partner, in total command of the sex who attempts to shut down Darryl before he gets started with the questions. Peter just wants sex and sleep while Darryl seems hell bent on creating intimacy.

2 Boys is set in 1987, pre-internet dating sites when people had to venture out to bars or other pick-up places in order to connect. It could be exhilarating, being on the hunt, but it could also be frightening not knowing anything about who has just entered your life. Is the person sane or violent? And of course the shadow of AIDS hung everywhere. That’s what these two actors deal with in real time with no extraneous dialogue or filler material.

T. Ross Aitken’s set makes the most of every inch of the stage. The Bed, which might as well be a third character, dominates center stage with a small living room to one side and a bathroom on the other. It is functional, utilitarian, and exactly the kind of apartment a struggling almost young man might have. Johnny Kernisky’s atmospheric lighting bathes the set in beautiful blues giving the area the feeling of fantasy.

Director Justin Amellio has kept the play brisk; the entire play runs a taut 70 minutes without an intermission, at times playful, other times menacing. Neither character wants to be truthful and it is only after time has passed that the real, honest, brutal truth comes out. Amellio has found just the right touch in order to let these actors explore their darker sides and bring them out on stage.

2 Boys, ultimately a play about control, illusion, and territory. Watch the way that Peter reacts to Darryl whenever the latter changes his position on stage. It is very subtle, almost choreographed the way he uses his position to enhance his power. I was reminded of magnets whose opposites attract and like sides repel.

Make no mistake, this is ADULT material with a great deal of full nudity on stage. However, if you miss this one, you will be sorry. This is a very powerful play.

For WCVE Public Radio, I’m John Porter.