Berkshire on Stage

by Dan Mayer

In a 2024 interview with Forbes, writer Meghan Kennedy said that “face-to-face communication sometimes feels like an endangered species.” It’s hard to disagree with that sentiment. Screens have taken over so many of our daily interactions, especially since the pandemic forced everyone into isolation, and there is a real emotional cost to that isolation. Perhaps now more than ever, there’s something special about live theater, which may have been part of the reason Kennedy wrote The Counter, a play about two people making an unlikely connection.  Harbinger Theatre‘s production at the Albany Barn brings audiences up close and personal with a great cast in a very fitting show for the 2020’s.

The Counter is mostly a two-hander in a single location. Paul (George Filieau) is a retired firefighter and a regular at the small-town diner where Katie (Lisa Bryk) works. As Paul is usually the only customer when the place opens, the two of them have a lot of time alone together, and he suggests they become better friends. The rest of the show follows their daily conversations as they start to share their secrets, Katie asks for help getting over an old flame, and Paul asks an impossible favor.

Kennedy’s script has some small moments of levity, but is largely solemn and contemplative as the characters’ secret burdens are slowly revealed. It’s an exploration of loneliness and the pain that comes with experiencing grief and trauma in isolation. The play doesn’t really tackle the bigger question of why it’s so hard for people to make meaningful connections, instead focusing on the emotional cost of isolation. The characters make questionable, even frustrating choices at times, but the way Paul and Katie have both chosen to suffer in silence is sadly familiar, and when they finally take a chance and confide in one another, there is a palpable sense of relief that is joyous to watch.

The central performances from Filieau and Bryk are excellent, and they play off of one another well. Filieau is a veteran of Capital Region community theater and it clearly shows in his stage presence, his comedic timing, and the way he tugs at the audience’s heartstrings when Paul’s hidden pain is laid bare. Bryk similarly turns in a touching performance full of charm, awkwardness, closely-guarded grief, and ultimately triumph. Joyce Reynolds only has one scene as Peg, but she adds humor and warmth to proceedings exactly when they’re needed, and Filieau and Reynolds have great casual chemistry in the few moments they have together.

Patrick White’s direction in this production favors giving the actors space to perform over preserving any suspension of disbelief. The show being in-the-round rather than on the stage places the actors close to the audience. Other productions have staged things so that the actors face each other at the counter while they converse, which looks more natural but mostly shows their profiles to the audience. Instead, the actors are almost always facing the crowd, and often step out of the scene to monologue.

The set seems to be intentionally sparse. The titular counter and stools are a thin artifice that vaguely suggest a diner interior. In fact, they aren’t present until the cast bring them out and set them up at the start of the show. There are also numerous moments when the actors break from the scene, walking around the space and carrying stools, even spinning the counter around at one point as if to emphasize that it’s a prop on wheels. It’s an artistic choice, but one that breaks audience immersion in the story.

Harbinger’s production of The Counter is best viewed as an acting showcase. The bare-bones set and in-the-round presentation push the performers to the forefront, and the performances are well worth seeing. That said, audiences who want to be immersed in a compelling narrative may want to look elsewhere.

Harbinger Theatre presents The Counter by Meghan Kennedy, directed by Patrick White, runs from September 17-26, at Albany Barn, 56 2^nd Street in Albany, NY. Cast: George Filieau as Paul, Lisa Bryk as Katie, and Joyce Reynolds as Peg.

Producer: Amy Hausknecht. Stage Manager: Regina Baker. Poster Artwork: Marc Christopher. Photography: Andrew Elder of Best Frame Forward. Box Office: Chris Foster. Set Design: Patrick White. Set Construction/Decoration: Maghen Ryan-Adair and Jennie Sinnott. Lighting Design: Stephen Wilson. Sound Design: Shaya Reyes. Board Operator: Michael O’Keeffe. House Manager: Marjorie Geiger. PR Coordinator: Kayla DeMicco.

Performance dates are Thursday – Saturday, September 17 – 26. All shows start at 7:30pm. Tickets are $15. Runs approximately 60 minutes without intermission. Tickets are available online. Visit https://harbingertheatre.ludus.com/index.php for more information.