The latest production from Penticton Chamber Theatre is a battle-of-the-sexes romantic comedy by playwright Jerry Mayer.
In Two Across, two strangers, a man and a woman, board a San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) train at 4:30 a.m. They’re alone and both are working on the New York Times crossword.
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“It’s basically about a couple of opposites in a closed space attacking one another’s values,” said director Bryan Laver.
The duo begins solving a lot more than their crossword puzzles.
“They are also quite intrigued by one another and they both have pretty serious life problems that the other person helps solve.”
Local actors Doug Brown plays Josh, the free-spirited, unemployed ad executive, and Peg Barcelo plays Janet, an unimpressed psychologist, who is a pro at crosswords.
Laver said he chose the play because the writing is hilarious.
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“It’s unpredictable and full of lots of surprises.”
Two Across all takes place in the enclosed space of a BART train so the stage crew had the difficult task of creating the inside of a shuttle train.
“We created a very interesting set and I think people will be intrigued by it,” Laver said.
Some local businesses, including Berry & Smith Trucking and Grower’s Supply, provided elements of the set that will “give the audience a chuckle,” he said.
There are three evening performances at the Cannery Theatre from May 22 to 26 at 8 p.m. and two matinees on Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m.
Tickets are $22 and available on Eventbrite and at the door.