Playwright Jordan Harrison on set for "Maple and Vine." Photo Credit: Sara Krulwich.

Maple and Vine, a play by Jordan Harrison, tells a complex story as it compares and contrasts life in 1955 and the present. We are offered an intriguing premise of a society and organization that endlessly perpetuates a lifestyle from 1955. The play manages to show us the suburban culture from this era but fails to deliver a unifying message or to demonstrate an overall theme. The overall narrative ends in two directions at the end.

Ryu (Peter Kim) is a successful plastic surgeon married to Katha (Marin Ireland), who works in publishing. They have both suffered from Katha’s recent miscarriage; Katha shows signs of depression and dissatisfaction with their lives. When Katha meets Dean (Trent Dawson), she is charmed by his old fashioned appearance and manner. Dean is a spokesperson for a community that voluntarily lives in the year 1955; they adhere to strict rules and believe that their structured, organized society lives with more freedom than the hectic modern lifestyle.