Beginning Again and Again in the Romantic Drama 'Constellations'

"Constellations" takes a popular premise — that there are multiple, overlapping worlds in which all of our possible decisions exist simultaneously — but does it with such tenderness and agility that it is like no play I've ever seen.

Roland (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Marianne (The Affair's Ruth Wilson) meet again and again on a black stage, surrounded by a Milky Way of balloons. In cinematic takes, we see worlds in which they get together and in which they don't; we see betrayal, loyalty, illness, love. The same scenes (slightly tweaked) are repeated multiple times. 

The shambling Gyllenhaal and goofy Wilson have an understated, regular-folks kind of chemistry that grounds in reality what could otherwise be too academic. The multiple line readings and dramatic storylines must be catnip for actors — in the wrong hands, Nick Payne's play could easily be a drama club exercise showing off theatrical virtuosity. Instead, the actors' slight shifts in tone and posture have a tremendous thematic impact, telling us that sometimes, what changes our lives is not what we say, but how we say it. Confidence, love, affection, humor, respect: these are the sentiments that make all the difference to the strength and longevity of a relationship.

Director Michael Longhurst keeps the narrative tight and (surprisingly) comprehensible. He's aided by Tom Scutt's set, almost a character in itself. The luminescent balloons become ominous thunderclouds and falling petals. They celebrate love, offer futile signs of hope in a hospital room, and indicate, with a random, sparkling pattern, that the universe is being rearranged.

"Constellations" is one of those rare shows that takes well-tread territory and manages to create something delightfully new. It's wry, funny, hopeful — and for a play that is centered on theoretical physics, heartbreakingly real.

"Constellations" is produced by the Manhattan Theatre Club at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre.