It's the middle of the night in the middle of nowhere, and small-town dandy Bailey Bryce has a date with destiny. As he waits in a deserted depot for the 2 a.m. bus to Thunder Bay, a beautiful stranger walks in gripping a suitcase and a bagful of secrets. Her name is Rhonda Claire, a hard-boiled femme fatale whose attempts to keep their conversation to the weather are foiled by Bailey's uncanny knack for reading people's pasts—or is it just Rhonda's he seems to know too much about? There has been a murder tonight in this quiet little speck on the map, yet even the sirens screaming by in search of clues cannot cut the growing tension between the sole two denizens of the bus station or interrupt their stream of rapid-fire repartee.
Bailey is a romantic and self-described storyteller who has never been anywhere. "I want tonight to change my life," he says. And it certainly will. And Rhonda's, too, in spite of her assertion that "we're not dating. We're just killing time in Hell." The laws of attraction and survival clash through surprising revelations and dangerous switchbacks to an ending that neither one—nor an audience—could predict.
Directed by Evan Bergman, "The Tangled Skirt" features Vince Nappo as Bailey and Carmit Levité as Rhonda Claire. Stage manager is Rose Riccardi; scenic design and properties by Jessica Parks; lighting design by Jill Nagle; costume design by Patricia E. Doherty. Assistant stage manager is Kelly Farah.
Performances are Thursdays and Fridays at 8pm; Saturdays at 3pm and 8pm; and Sundays at 2pm. Opening Night with a reception is Saturday, December 4. Tickets are $40; $35 for previews; $36 for seniors (65+); and $60 for opening night. Special discounts are available for students (13-25), military personnel, and groups of ten or more. NJ Rep is located at 179 Broadway in Long Branch. For information and reservations, call 732-229-3166 or visit www.njrep.org.
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