The Language Archive

Lingologist George (Matt Letscher) is studied in numerous languages, but somehow he can’t communicate with his wife (Heidi Schreck), so she leaves him. On a whim she takes over a bakery and lives happily ever after making the most wonderful bread. Meanwhile, George is having an awful time dealing with the end of his marriage. The one person he has to confide in is Emma (Betty Gilpin), his assistant at his Language Archive. She has always been in love with George and upon finding out that he is single, Emma spends her portion of the play working herself up to telling him so. Enter into the mix Jane Houdyshell and John Horton as a European couple, Alta and Resten, who happen to speak a dying language. George hopes to record them in conversation, but they are in the middle of an argument and so will only argue in English. They say their language doesn’t have anger in it, so they have to speak English––the perfect language for expressing anger. Although their relationship seems strained at first, we find out that they have continued to love each other deeply for decades and will die together. What happens between George and Emma is secondary to the idea of exploring how love manifests itself in different forms and surprising ways. Julia Cho’s play makes a singular fascinating idea, when at one point George is at his saddest, he reaches out for a hug from Emma. As she hugs him, she is the happiest she has ever been. Here the ultimate sadness and the ultimate joy hold each other––two people as one––whole for a moment.

This is a play where the characters sometimes talk to the audience––narrating––even asking for audience participation. This is a play where two of the small cast play the chorus––filling in all the little characters that come along to facilitate the plot. This is a play with a unit set by Neil Patel, that serves all purposes. Mark Brokaw directed this play of quirks and odd rhythms by simply giving over to it. There isn’t much of a story there and the idea is straight forward and simple, but the telling of it is complicated. Yet there is enough there, what with Jane Houdyshell and John Horton popping in and out as different entertaining characters to expand the little story into a full two act evening. And there is a sweetness that pervades the story that gives a feel good warmth by the final curtain. This Roundabout Theatre Company production is not a monumental play, but it has loads of charm and that may be enough to make it last through the years.