"Moments and Lemons" at TNC

If you haven't already made your weekend plans--and even if you have!--you might consider Moments and Lemons, the two-person play written by Fred Giacinto and directed by Thom Fogarty at Theater for the New City. Only two performances remain*, and I think you'll be glad to meet a couple of very appealing actors, Tony King and Jessica Day.

Moments and Lemons tracks twists and turns over several decades of a man's life, as seen through the eyes of Casper, an ex-con. King, as Casper, creates a convincing performance of engrossing depth, flexibility and subtlety. Day animates Casper's seamless narrative by giving voice to people who strongly influenced Casper and steered his fate. She's razor-sharp, agile in mind and body, able to shift from character to character in a nanosecond as you're whipped through Casper's memories at warp speed.

Giacinto wrote the play for these two gifted players, and one can readily see why he'd take delight in their strengths and seek to challenge them. It's a big challenge, indeed--just the two holding down a 85-minute piece with billions of words, a torrent of words compressed in time. No intermission. No sets. No costume changes. No nothing. 

Well, there are four chairs. And one significant, if tiny, prop that turns up late in the play. But that's it. And they do it beautifully and in a way that cannot help but break your heart.

Moments and Lemons

*final performances--tonight (8pm) and Sunday (3pm)

Theater for The New City

155 First Avenue (between 9th and 10th Streets), Manhattan

Tickets here or call 212-254-1109.