Play uses simplicity to show emotion

The most successful dramas will capture the audience and put it into the minds of the characters. "Last Train to Nibroc," a touching romantic comedy by Arlene Hutton, does a nice job of doing just this.\nUsing little more than two actors and a bench, this play is more appealing to the emotions than to the eyes.\nThe story is set in the Midwest during the World War II era. Raleigh, played by Matt Harding, is an ex-soldier on his way home after being discharged for medical reasons. He discovers that the train he is riding on is carrying the bodies of Nathanael West and F. Scott Fitzgerald and becomes inspired to go to New York to become a writer. On the same train, Raleigh meets May, a young and naive girl with aspirations of becoming a missionary. May is played by Allison Batty, Raleigh and May soon discover that they are from neighboring towns, and in this, their lives are changed forever.\nAnyone who has ever seen or participated in a speech-team event will find this style of performance very familiar. The play, which is performed in a small firebay, consists solely of the two actors and their interactions with each other. Each of the play's three scenes represents a crossing in the two characters' paths.\nThe intimacy of this production is effective in highlighting Hutton's writing, and the lack of elaborate sets provides a nice frame for the performances.\nHarding does a nice job of portraying the easy-going and sometimes immature Raleigh. But when his character becomes angry, the transition seems a little too choppy and therefore less believable. Harding redeems himself, though, with a very strong performance in the third scene of the play.\nEspecially notable is Batty's performance as May. She does a great job of showing her character change and grow with each of the encounters. By the end of the play, we see how much her life has has been impacted by her encounter with Raleigh.\nHutton's warm-hearted play is a testament to how important coincidental encounters can be and how much they can affect our lives. By using such a simple style, she also shows how these encounters can change us as people.\nThe lack of traditional bells and whistles may make this production seem bland and uninteresting to some, but if you are interested in the true art of drama and just love to see people act, you'll probably appreciate this show.\n"Last Train to Nibroc," directed by Phil Kasper, will be showing at the John Waldron Arts Center's Rose Firebay Jan. 18, 19, 25 and 26 at 8 p.m. and Jan. 20 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for seniors and students.