Marin Ireland, Jeanine Serralles and Trent Dawson in "Maple and Vine." Photo Credit: Sara Krulwich.

Ever feel like you were born in the wrong time period? That’s an understatement for Katha and Ryu. Maple and Vine, written by Jordan Harrison and directed by Anne Kauffman, is the story of a married couple named Katha and Ryu (Marin Ireland, Peter Kim) living in the modern world. They are living an average life but like most people, they don’t enjoy it. They feel that they are “allergic” to the 21st century. Katha meets a man named Dean (Trent Dawson). There is something suspicious about this man. He is dressed in a suit and hat with a brief case. They spoke about a community that was supposed to be a replica of one in the 1950s. Eventually the couple moves to the community but they are forced to give up all of their modern day necessities such as computers, cell phones, and foreign takeout. In the 50s, multiracial couples weren’t accepted, so Katha and Ryu had to deal with racial slurs and discrimination. The play also dealt with same sex couples. Dean and his “friend” Roger (Pedro Pascal) are hiding a big secret! Dean is married to Ellen (Jean Serralles) who is part of Dean and Roger’s big plot.

Maple and Vine was probably the best play I’ve seen in a while. Unlike most plays nowadays, the characters had emotion. They sold their parts and I found that they were believable. The play was laced with humor yet had a serious touch. I enjoyed the set, even though it required stage-crew. The center of the stage was automatic and would move up and down when there was a need for a change. Although when the centerpiece of the stage went down, I had a feeling somebody was going to fall into the hole. Thankfully nobody fell and the play ran smoothly. The only negative was the “15” minute intermission. The intermission was actually 30 minutes. This was due to the great amount of work the stage-crew had to do. Plus, the show I attended was only the 1st day of previews and hopefully will be resolved later on in the show’s run. Otherwise, Maple and Vine is a great play and is totally recommended!