Play: In the Hallway

We laugh, we cry, with Christine Murillo and Jean-Pierre Darroussin as an elderly couple thrown into turmoil by the return of their son, now in his fifties, to the family home. A tailor-made, intimate play for this exceptionally well-matched duo, skillfully directed by their collaborator Charles Tordjman. To make us laugh and move us—that is the successful goal of this short play about the passage of time, love that (doesn’t) always last, and its larger-than-life characters. Two lonely souls bickering in the face of life’s trials, entangled in their contradictions, grudges, and unspoken words, yet saved by their mutual tenderness—admirably portrayed by Christine Murillo and Jean-Pierre Darroussin. Everything in their gestures, their glances, and the inflection of their voices is masterfully executed. There is nothing superfluous in the set design or staging either, which highlight the author’s art of dialogue and his ability to move us “through the subtle humor, fragility, and humanity of his characters.” If Charles Tordjman’s curiosity was piqued by this “humanity that limps and stutters,” we, too, cannot remain unmoved by this elderly couple who, perhaps, resemble us…