Sweet Confinement

There are so many ways Sweet Confinement could go horribly wrong. Dramatizing the response of five friends to a suicide attempt, this world-premiere play perilously dips its toes into the twin terrors of twentysomething angst and the “social issue” play. Miraculously, Carini avoids the pitfalls inherent in her themes, producing instead a truthful, well-observed portrait of life in miniature. Hewing closely to the Aristotelian unities, Carini confines the action to one location—a bathroom—and lets the plot unfurl over the course of one neatly telescoped day.

Carini mostly rises to the challenge she’s set for herself, with fresh, convincing dialogue and some authentically moving moments. Signs of strain begin to show, though, as the play’s powerful moment of catharsis—affectingly played by Blakewell—boomerangs suddenly into healing. While Carini is wise not to overstay her welcome, particularly in a play of such small scope, she should give her bathroom tragedy more room to resolve on its own terms.

The playwright is well served by the newly formed SiNNERMAN Ensemble (here in its second production). Director Bahow opens with a visual grabber and doesn’t let go for the entire, taut 80 minutes. Bahow coaches modulated, unpretentious performances from her actors, all of whom negotiate the play’s sharp hairpin-turns from comedy to tragedy and back. Meanwhile, Joe Schermoly’s meticulously detailed, dioramalike set serves as both a realistic backdrop for the action and as a resonant metaphor for Carini’s themes.