Theater review: Realism collides with high theatricality in TheaterWorks Hartford’s ‘The Counter’

It is hard to look at the exquisite scenic design of “The Counter,” the intriguingly intimate drama at TheaterWorks Hartford, without thinking of an Edward Hopper painting.

On one level, the environment declares that the play is set in a realistic looking, nearly empty, moodily lit diner. The image also suits the curious balance of stark realism and overt, artsy theatricality that fuels Meghan Kennedy’s fascinating script, which had its world premiere off-Broadway in the fall of 2024 and was swiftly embraced by the regional theater world. TheaterWorks Hartford has announced that the local run has been extended through March 22 due to popular demand.

“The Counter” is centered around everyday conversations between the small breakfast-and-lunch-only diner’s sole morning employee Katie, played by Justis Bolding, and her regular first customer of the day Paul, played by Tim DeKay. At first we see them indulge in small talk, though they know each other fairly well. Then they share confidences: Why did she, a former city dweller, flee to this small town, and why has he never fled from it? Amid the banter and the confessions comes a highly inappropriate request.

That request is probably not what you think it might be, and that’s where both naturalism and the histrionics start to collide in this oddly captivating play. At times, “The Counter” is a laid-back conversation between ordinary townsfolk where you might expect the plot to emerge slowly and carefully. But it is also structured like a mystery and a melodrama where big psychological twists are announced on the spur of a moment. Inner monologues erupt without warning. Some revelations play like timeworn American dramas from the 1930s or film noir romances from the ’40s, even though this freewheeling conversational play is very much set in the present day. Some of the big portentous moments are underscored with heavy soundtrack music composed by Billy Bivona.

It’s a heady mix, but this awkward blend is what keeps your attention.

“The Counter” is a play of endless surprises, some more credibly presented than others. For starters, Katie and Paul aren’t the only characters in the play, though they certainly seem to be for over half of it. There’s a third live actor who pops in for a single pivotal scene. That performer, Erika Rolfsrud, is beautifully cast for a role designed to bring a quick burst of effervescent emotional energy.

Another character, heard but not seen, is a much-discussed person in Katie’s life who exists only as a series of 27 brief voice messages on her phone.

There’s also an inanimate object that directly affects Paul’s future so profoundly that this small prop might as well be a lurking, yammering figure in the diner. This is the element that really takes “The Counter” in unexpected directions. It’s one of many areas in the play where you fully expect a certain thing to happen. When that thing absolutely does not happen, as a theatergoer you express a wave and relief as well as a renewed sense of “Well, what will happen now then?”

“The Counter” bounces back and forth between nuanced and arch. The two main actors and director Rob Ruggiero don’t appear to worry as much about smooth scene transitions as they do about making each moment count as it’s happening.

Faced with some dialogue that could come off as written out or cliched, DeKay, who appeared at TheaterWorks Hartford in 2024 in the psychological thriller “Fever Dreams (of Animals on the Verge of Extinction)” and starred as Peter Burke for six seasons of the crime series “White Collar,” is expert at finding line readings which make the words sound like they’re actually coming out of his mouth, even when those lines can be trite or overwritten. Bolding’s gift is strong, believable, physical reactions to some of Paul’s more unsettling statements. Again, this is realism butting up against heavily scripted theater. Yet such a talk-based show demands special verbal and physical techniques. The actors and Ruggiero have many little tricks at their disposal, from carefully modulated raised voices to outhrust elbows and pointed fingers, to keep the speeches lively.

Accomplished actress moves to CT, finds herself starring in ‘The Counter’ at TheaterWorks Hartford

At a mere 75 minutes, staged so simply that Bolding and DeKay don’t even change their dumpy day-to-day outfits even though days and weeks pass during the time of the play, “The Counter” is so good at keeping you guessing that there’s no chance to get bored or second-guess how TheaterWorks Hartford is pulling off this sometimes awkward tonal balancing act.

The wonder of Kennedy’s play is that, while it is traditional in much of its writing and uses hoary theatrical tricks, its plot stays mysterious and unpredictable until the very end. There’s a lot to admire in this offbeat friendship saga, but the most admirable thing is that it defies the ending that seems inevitable and heads off in another direction altogether. Just when it threatens to turn sensational, it gets gentle. It’s a neat trick that sustains an unevenly yet eventful evening and allows audiences to leave the theater feeling hope and forgiveness rather than grief and despair.

“The Counter” by Meghan Kennedy runs through March 22 at TheaterWorks Hartford, 233 Pearl St., Hartford. Performances are Tuesdays through Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. There are special performances on Feb. 28 at noon and 4 p.m. and March 12 at 1 p.m. $25-$78. twhartford.org.

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