The Way We Get By
Second Stage Theatre, 305 W. 43rd St.; 212-246-4422. 90 minutes, no intermission. Through June 14.
“The Way We Get By” is off-Broadway’s answer to a Hollywood rom-com — the kind where a young, attractive couple overcomes obstacles and disputes about “Star Wars” to sail off into true love.
It helps that half of said couple is played by Amanda Seyfried, star of the movie versions of “Mamma Mia!” and “Les Misérables.” Making her stage debut opposite the reliable Thomas Sadoski (“Other Desert Cities” and TV’s “The Slap”), the leggy blonde seems comfortable enough to briefly go topless. More important, her emotionally vulnerable character, Beth, has a believable rapport with Sadoski’s Comic-Con-attending Doug, which helps us to care about whether their one-night stand turns into something bigger.
That this low-key two-hander is by Neil LaBute is only a minor surprise. He may have started off as the misanthrope behind “In the Company of Men,” among other venom-laced works, but he’s evolved into something of a humanist. Look no further than last year’s sneakily progressive comedy “The Money Shot” — about the know-it-all arrogance of morons — and this new play about love.
The most LaBute-esque touch is a mildly shocking revelation midway through that casts a new light on Beth and Doug’s relationship.
A bigger issue is how annoying they are.
Beth’s your typical high-strung young woman who tries to prove she’s not uptight by initiating acrobatic oral sex on the couch of Neil Patel’s very Design Within Reach set.
Doug is your run-of-the-mill man-child in a vintage “Star Wars” T-shirt who spends half his time gushing about Joseph Campbell, the other stammering apologies.
“You’re so beautiful,” he tells Beth. “Is that OK to say?”
She has his number: “Let’s just put it this way. You haven’t exactly been in a hurry to become an adult.”
Of course you could say the same about Beth, who lets herself be bullied by her (unseen) roommate, a neatnik named Kim.
The show, ably directed by Leigh Silverman, hinges on whether Beth and Doug will decide to grow up — and whether they’ll do it together. The only thing for sure is that they’re likely to keep yammering on.
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