“Grounded” is a tough-minded war story told with a minimum of fuss. It swears a bit, but it doesn’t drip blood on you. It tells rather than shows. Holding back makes it much more powerful.
“Grounded” has been a breakthrough work for George Brant, a prolific playwright who’s been active in the regional theater realm for over a decade. (The New Haven-based theater Theatre 4 produced the world premiere of his family drama “Salvage” in 2012.) “Grounded” had a big-deal New York production at the Public Theater in 2015 starring Anne Hathaway and directed by Julie Taymor. Hathaway will reportedly be starring in a film version.
At Westport Country Playhouse, Brant’s script provides a breakthrough role for young actress Elizabeth Stahlmann, who graduated from the Yale School of Drama just weeks ago. “Grounded” runs through July 29.
I saw Stahlmann in several shows at Yale, and had no doubt that she can handle such a demanding role as The Pilot in “Grounded.” Stahlmann knows her way around an inner monologue. She can be fully present physically yet believably lost in her own thoughts at the same time. She can hold your attention and deliver necessary information, even while her character appears to be losing her mind.
“Grounded” begins pretty slowly, and builds suspense through The Pilot’s casual sharing of her workday routines. She’d trained as a fighter pilot, but after taking maternity leave finds herself in the “Chair Force,” remotely steering drones and dropping bombs in the Middle East from the safety of a cold, dull office building in Nevada. She sees this at first as a demotion, or at the very least a waste of resources, but begins to embrace the work. As her excitement builds, as she offhandedly relates how the work affects her commute, her sleep and her family life, you can sense a tragedy coming.
The dramatic build-up isn’t artificial. It’s all in Stahlmann’s voice, as it goes from friendly storytelling to a form of therapy, and then to a frantic confession.
The glory of “Grounded” is that it has all these weapons of mass destruction at its disposal, but instead it tells a small, powerful story of a single woman whose life and consciousness are changed by her military service. Director Liz Diamond (one of Stahlmann’s professors at Yale, who selected her for this role) knows exactly the degree to which Stahlmann can emote, and tunes the rest of the production accordingly.
The scenic design by Riccardo Hernandez (strikingly different from the one he did for Taymor’s production of this same play in New York), the sound design by Kate Marvin and the projections (some abstract, some very detailed) by Yana Birykova are supportive, not intrusive or distracting.
“Grounded” lives up to its name, and its story of a world slowly eroding should live with you for a while. Brace yourself.
“GROUNDED” by George Brant, directed by Liz Diamond and starring Elizabeth Stahlmann, runs through July 29 at the Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, Westport. Performances are Tuesday at 7 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m., with 2 p.m. Wednesday matinee on July 26 and 3 p.m. Saturday matinees on July 22 and 29. Tickets are $30-$70. westportplayhouse.org.
