“An Experiment with Time” was a widely read 1927 book by J. W. Dunne, a British soldier, aeronautical engineer and philosopher. One of the theories he posited was that all time is happening simultaneously. Past, present and future are one and linear time is the only way in which human consciousness is able to perceive this. J. B. Priestly used these ideas in his plots for three “Time Plays,” including An Inspector Calls, his most famous work.
Time and the Conways takes place in both 1919 and 1937 Britain between the World Wars. The play opens with Kay’s 21st birthday and a grand party at their home in well-to-do Manningham. (The original Kay on Broadway in 1938 was Jessica Tandy.) Four sisters and two sons, one of whom just returns from the war, are still living at home with their mother (Downton Abbey’s Elizabeth McGovern). While this is certainly a family drama filled with sibling rivalries and emotional baggage, thematically it is much bigger than that. Priestley also comments on Britain between the wars, class privilege, socialism, life choices and missed opportunities with a dash of unrequited love. Add in a beast of a mother, a game of charades and a whiff of metaphysical time travelling. I loved this play, its naturalistic style and its structure.
Everyone in this talent-rich cast was good and the staging by Rebecca Taichman (last year’s Tony winner for Indecent) effectively presented the mundane and the mysterious. Particular standouts for me were Gabriel Ebert as Alan (Tony winner for Matilda), Charlotte Parry as Kay (Tony winner for The Real Thing), Matthew James Thomas as Robin (Pippin, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark) and Anna Baryshnikov as Carol (film debut in Manchester by the Sea).
As Ernest, Steven Boyer was just as intense as his unforgettable performance in Hand to God. His character is an entrepreneurial climber from the lower class who desperately wants to meet the Conways. A study in simmering physicality, perhaps Mr. Boyer’s character is Priestley’s commentary on British society. As time passes and dreams are realized, why is there still just pent up anger and unhappiness? Time and the Conways is rich with characters and ideas. A rewarding piece of theater and a Broadway revival well worth seeking out.