NOW AND THEN: Love and Regret

From left to right, Amanda Springob as Abby, Jack Anderson as Jamie, and Nichole Kivela as Woman in Now and Then at Sunset Playhouse. Photo credit: Erika Navin.

A review of Now and Then

by Sofia Gilson, age 16

(Warning: this review contains several spoilers for this show’s many twists!)

One night in 1981, a young bartender, Jamie, and his girlfriend, Abby, are visited by an older man, who offers them two thousand dollars to let him stay in the bar past closing and have a drink. The pair finds the mysterious man is very knowledgeable about their lives, telling them about the unbelievable events that have happened in his life and revealing that he has come to prevent these events from happening at all. When a furious woman also suddenly arrives at the bar, the young couple must decide whether they want to follow the path they took or rewrite their future entirely. Now and Then, presented at Sunset Playhouse, is a touching story about love and regret, featuring incredibly detailed set and props, fitting costumes, and a powerful cast of actors.

Now and Then features one set–the Irish bar that Jamie works at. This location was crafted with incredible attention to detail, with nods to Chicago, where the bar is located, like Bears’ team flags on the door. The specific care to put up a 2007 Super Bowl sign after the jump to the modern day was an excellent way to show the progression of time! More outward Irish decorations were also all around, which felt very accurate for a bar’s furnishings. Furthermore, the food and drink props were all realistic, with actual liquid in the bottles poured at the bar and realistic food shared and eaten. 

I always must mention the costumes of a show, which in this case were simple: a waitress uniform for Abby and everyday clothes for Jamie, the man, and the woman. The attention to detail after the alteration of the timeline to change the man and woman’s attire (the pristine coat the woman wears, as opposed to the ratty one the man scolded her for wearing and stated he loathed), as well as the formal clothing worn by Abby and Jamie in the final scene were all highly effective.

The four-person cast of Now and Then each brought amazing energy to the stage. The casting of actors who looked similar, but aged up, was perfection! They expressed fear, sadness, and love toward one another, whether it was between Jamie (played by Jack Anderson) and Abby (Amanda Springob), Man (Jim Mallmann) and Woman (Nichole Kivela), or the younger and older versions of themselves. Whether fighting, dancing, or crying together, their performances were incredibly convincing, making for an even more emotional viewing experience.

Now and Then combines elements of comedy, romance, and dramatic genres to create a heartfelt story of regrets and the possibility of going back to change it all. The director (Phil Stepanski), producers (Nikki Lueck and Erika Navin), and performers were able to perfectly capture human experiences, even when the characters faced impossible choices, which made for an incredibly powerful show.

Catch more shows like this at Sunset Playhouse!