Two strangers seeking refuge in a dingy motel room reveal their deepest, darkest secrets to riveting effect in The Civil Twilight, Shem Bitterman’s lollapalooza of a two-hander now getting a brilliantly acted World Premiere at the Broadwater Studio Theatre.

Had their flight to the west coast not been cut short because of what’s being described as a “once-in-a-century monster storm,” John Pine (Andrew Elvis Miller) and Ann Carlson (Taylor Gilbert) would almost certainly never have met.

He is after all a talk radio star known far and wide as “the lonesome voice of the prairie” and she’s a thrice-married Midwest nobody stuck out in the middle of nowhere.

But cross their paths did, which is why Ann now finds herself in the presence of a man whose voice has kept her company on countless lonely nights.

What neither of them knows, and what we in the audience will find out sooner (in her case) or later (in his) is that each has something deep and dark inside to hide.

As to what secrets John and Ann keep concealed, waiting for them to be revealed is just one reason audiences are guaranteed to remain on the edge of their seats over the course of The Civil Twilight’s pulse-pounding ninety minutes.

Not that Ann, who describes herself as John’s “biggest fan” doesn’t already know a lot about her idol’s life, his family, and his career, all of which have been described in detail over the air waves.

She knows for example that John is happily married to the beautiful Stacy, that his older son Kevin wants to be a fighter pilot and that eleven-year-old Quinn is already planning a life in politics.

She’s also seen tabloid headlines announcing “Midwest Mouth John Pine Exploring a Move into Reality,” which means he was probably en route to meet some “big-time Hollywood producer” and seal the deal before this unexpected detour.

Then again, there have been no additional reports on John’s move from talk radio to reality TV since those initial stories, if Ann were less of a starstruck fan, she might find herself wondering about his offhand remark that “maybe I need a place to hide out,” or asking herself why he had her sign the motel register and use her credit card to pay for the room.

And if this isn’t already piquing your interest in The Civil Twilight, the explosive star turns delivered by a riveting Miller, whose John Pine is as slick and suave as he is capable of inflicting casual cruelty, and by a devastating Gilbert, who positively vanishes into Ann’s hard-edged, guilt-wracked, ultimately take-action skin, ought to do it, their performances finely hewn by ace director Ann Hearn Tobolowsky.

Add to that the play’s pungent commentary on the divide between the rich (who fly business class) and the rest of the country (who fly coach and get snubbed and scorned for being poor or “stupid” or simply anonymous), and you’ve got a discussion-provoking November theatrical must-see.

The almost cramped intimacy of the Broadwater Studio Theatre turns audience members into flies on the wall of the pitch-perfect American Southwest motel room designed by Joel Daavid, strikingly lit, and adorned with Scottie Nevill’s just-right props.

Jenna Bergstraesser’s costumes suit each character to perfection, and Christopher Moscatiello’s sound design is an expert mix of dramatic effects and Roger Bellon’s original music.

The Civil Twilight is produced by Danna Hyams and presented by Plays With People and The Road Theatre Company. Andreya Nevarez is production stage manager. Haowen Luo was rehearsal stage manager. David Elzer is publicist.

As dramatic as it is suspenseful as it is insightful, and featuring a pair of absolutely spellbinding performances, Shem Bitterman’s The Civil Twilight is a bona fide fall-of-2024 stunner.

The Broadwater Studio Theatre, 1076 Lillian Way., Los Angeles. Through December 22. Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00. Sundays at 3:00.
www.theciviltwilight.ludus.com

–Steven Stanley
November 3, 2024
Photos: Lizzie Kimball

Tags: Los Angeles Theater Review, The Broadwater Studio Theatre, The Road Theatre Company