Harvard resident Bob Eiland is producing and directing his second play at Fivesparks Theater, following a successful debut production of “Constellations” last spring. Opening Thursday, Oct. 30, with five more performances to follow, “2 Across” is another two-actor play, but very different from its predecessor. “I wanted to pivot from the serious drama of the first show to something lighter this time,” said Eiland, “and this play is a combination of heart, lightness, and wit—a perfect contrast.”
Eiland said he spent the past six months reading plays with two characters, or no more than four, that had a simple set and was technically undemanding. He made a spreadsheet, color-coded, of each play’s possibilities and drawbacks. The Fivesparks building places limits on choice. But, as Eiland said, “constraints foster creativity,” and the upside of the intimate space is that it draws the audience close, feeling part of the scene, “like you’re right there with the actors.”
Frank Aronson and Lynda Vernalia spar across the aisle in "2 Across." (Photo by Sanjay Gulati)
Knowing that he wanted something fun and witty, he settled on “2 Across.” The playwright is Jerry Mayer, who was a writer on the TV series “MASH” and “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” which, as some will fondly remember, were both full of heart and wit.
The play is set in a car on the Bay Area Rapid Transit 4:12 a.m. train, with the two characters sitting across from each other. The portable stage owned by Fivesparks has eight modules, which, Eiland said, can be configured in different ways. In this case they will be arranged and heightened to their full 24 inches to look like a subway car—and, incidentally, give even better visibility for the audience.
The two characters are polar opposites, which in itself offers different possibilities for a relationship. They are nameless until “a big reveal,” said Eiland. He is an extroverted Jewish man, kind of a showman, with no kids. He’s in marketing and is currently between jobs. She is serious and earnest, a rule-bound Catholic with two grown children, who can sometimes get in her own way. They are each holding The New York Times, doing the crossword puzzle. Their approaches to the puzzle reflect their contrasting personalities. She is a dedicated puzzler and has her strategies. He is more casual and prone to give up on the puzzle more easily. “The personality dynamics are full of twists and turns,” said Eiland.
The conversation is packed with clever clues, with a theme, and the crossword enthusiasts in the audience will want to try to figure out answers along with the two actors. The title “2 Across” is applicable to the play in several ways. Literally as a clue in the puzzle, physically because it’s how he and she are sitting across from each other, but also perhaps in the ways the relationship evolves. As Eiland put it, “Two New York Times crossword players, puzzling through their respective predicaments, meet … and find they are quite the puzzle themselves.”
Actors and crew
Following two sessions of auditions, Eiland cast Frank Aronson, who appeared at Fivesparks in one of Eiland’s one-act holiday plays in 2023. Testament to Aronson’s dedication and enthusiasm for the role is the fact that he lives an hour and a half from Harvard. He calls his character “the ultimate improviser” and said of the play, “‘2 Across,’ to me, is about making connections and our human attempt to find some truth about ourselves.”
More local is Lynda Vernalia, who appeared in more than one of Eiland’s Old Time Radio Theatre shows that he directed and produced for 10 years before the pandemic. In an email she said, “I love the challenge of a two-person play … in a unique, defined space. I also love exploring the balance of commonality and opposition, and push and pull, throughout the play.” She added, “My character is very real to me.”
The two actors did not know each other before, but, Eiland said, they “have great chemistry between them.” The BART announcer is Edie Hettinger, who is also the prop master and production assistant.
Other crew members are Chris Kimball, scene designer/painter; Jim Stoddard, sound tech for Eiland’s sound design; JulieAnn Govang, playbill; and Sanjay Gulati, production photographer. Fivesparks president Cary Browse is front-of-house coordinator and past president and board member Mark Mikitarian is stage hands coordinator. Theatrical lighting is by Concert Sound & Lighting of Acton.
A vision for community theater
Eiland talked about the vision for the future of Fivesparks Theater. With his many years of acting, directing, producing, and also as a playwright, Eiland advocated for a theater as part of Fivesparks’ cultural offerings, and he worked out the details with board members. But he said he doesn’t want it to be all him; he wants it to be a community theater, where other directors and producers can present plays, and he encourages interested people to reach out. He wants to develop Fivesparks Theater in a way that “many people feel ownership.” To this end, he has chosen two possible plays for the spring play, and invited someone other than himself to choose which play, select a cast, and direct the production.
Performances of “2 Across” are Thursday, Oct. 30, Saturday, Nov. 1, Friday, Nov. 7, and Saturday, Nov. 8, at 7:30 p.m. Sunday matinees on Nov. 2 and 9 are at 2 p.m. Doors open a half hour before the start of each show. Tickets are $25 for everyone. Each performance will be limited to 40 people; for reservations go to fivesparks.org and click on Fivesparks Theater.
