A well-trodden escape from the heat of the concrete jungle, Niagara Falls is almost as much a part of New York City’s summertime narrative as the Mr Softee jingle. An Amtrak journey away, New Yorkers have made the trip to see the thundering waters time and time again – for everything from elopements to weekends away from sizzling sidewalks.
America-in-Play riffs on this timeless desire to travel north with the premiere of new play A Time-Traveler’s Trip to Niagara, running until Sunday at the Hudson Guild Theatre (441 West 26th Street). The story follows two journeys up the Hudson River: one present-day, by bus, and the other by 1828 steamboat. The former follows a brother and sister traveling upstate to trace their roots; the latter an upper class British brother and sister taking a tour of Early America. Both journeys converge at the iconic Niagara Falls, where a breech in the time/space continuum means the convergence is more literal than figurative.
Here’s where it gets complicated. The same actors – Max Arnaud and Crystal Arnette – play both brother-and-sister duos and their transitions through time are signaled by different accents and subtle changes in costume. This is true for the rest of the cast, who dabble in and out of characters as the story unfolds.
The whole production, conceived and commissioned by Lynn M. Thomson, is a whirlwind of props, costume changes, disorienting sounds and dizzying projections that can be confusing against the frame of a disjointed narrative. It’s a play that will appeal to history buffs – the audience is encouraged on stage before the show to tour the dime museum/set – and less to lovers of great drama. It feels slap-dash and lacking in focus (five playwrights for one script may be some of the problem). But the cast gives it its best shot, aside from some hokey plays on race and gender, and the troupe must be admired for its effort. I’ll be keeping an intrigued eye open for America-in-Play’s future endeavors.
When it comes to long rides up the Hudson, maybe we should all listen to Ella Fitzgerald: “Summer journeys to Niagara and to other places aggravate all our cares. We’ll save our fares. I’ve a cozy little flat in what is known as old Manhattan. We’ll settle down, right here in town…”
Twisted Talk: Have you ever been to Niagara Falls? Will you check out this show while it’s still running? Discuss below!
