It’s been said that chance meetings are often an aphrodisiac moment out of which true love may bloom. That doesn’t guarantee it will be an easy germination, just that there’s an outside chance for a blossom.
Playwright John Patrick Shanley shows audiences such a flowering in his latest play, “Brooklyn Laundry,” running March 4-29 at the Red Barn Theatre in Key West. Shanley, author of the romantic hit “Moonstruck,” is a master of the charming, imperfect love story, and this play fits his model well.
“Brooklyn Laundry” is about three sisters and a guy who run a laundry in that New York borough. Fran is a single woman and tired of being so. Her sisters each have their own crosses to bear and each turns to Fran, who is feeling overwhelmed with it all.
One day, Fran takes a bag of laundry to the cleaner in her building and runs into the owner, Owen, whose sweetly gruff adorableness breaks through her protective barriers and sparks something between them. Owen, too, has had to deal with some unexpected twists in his life, but he rises to the moment and asks Fran to dinner.
From there, Shanley takes audiences on a tale of two people trying to find balance in their lives despite the bumps that come their way.
The Red Barn production stars Jessica Miano Kruel, Michael Castellano, Donna Stabile and Lauren Thompson. It is directed by Joy Hawkins, the Red Barn’s artistic director.
“It’s a beautiful play,” Hawkins said, “nicely written, funny, tender and heartwarming. It does deal with some situations we sometimes have to deal with in life, and it might bring some tears here and there, but you’ll leave the theater feeling really good. It’s very life-affirming, with characters you can really root for.”Tickets are available at keystix.com, or at redbarntheatre.com. For more information, call the box office at 305-296-9911. All shows for the March 4-29 run are at 7:30 p.m.
‘Brooklyn Laundry’ at Red Barn Theater March 4-29.
Tickets: keystix.com, redbarntheatre.com and 305-296-9911.
All shows start at 7:30 p.m.
