★★★✩✩ - Satisfying
Theatre in the Valley (based in the Henderson community since 1993) is presenting a very satisfying 3-Star production of 2 Across: A Comedy of Crosswords and Romance, through May 1st.
The audience quickly learns that there’s no need for internet dating, singles bars, or expensive cruises. Jerry Mayer’s present day romantic comedy proves that it’s still possible to meet and fall in love in an hour and a half in the most unlikely of places: the 4:30 a.m. BART train from San Francisco International Airport on its way to Bay Point!
Two strangers, a psychologist (most stylishly portrayed by Terri Gandy) and an unemployed ad man (embodied very casually and comfortably by Clay Kuykendall) find themselves alone on a San Francisco commuter train at 4:30 a.m., each doing their New York Times crossword puzzles. But before their crosswords are solved, they find that they may have solved the puzzles of each other’s lives.
Janet arrives first and settles into a nice empty car, picking up a crossword puzzle. All this uptight, mace-packing psychologist wants right now is a little peace and quiet. She is Catholic, structured, responsible, a good mother and usually right. She's an achiever whose standards are high and her patience is low. As a psychologist, she's blunt and honest. She's a law abider and a rule follower. Everything she attempts, she does well, except for one thing, she’s got to learn about how to have fun.