Review: Elsinore’s ‘Shooting Star’ shines brightly

American playwright Steven Dietz titled his play “Shooting Star” in a nod to the Bob Dylan song of the same title. The lyrics are an evocative summation of the award-winning Elsinore’s current production, which runs through Oct. 15 at the First United Methodist Church of Elgin. “Guess it’s too late to say the things to you that you needed to hear me say, seen a shooting star tonight, slip away.”

And let’s get one thing perfectly clear: “Shooting Star” takes flight under the astute direction of Thomas Neumann and the superb talents of Jamie Ewing of Crystal Lake as Reed McAllister and Lori Rohr of Palatine as Elena Carson.

Neumann, Rohr and Ewing founded Elsinore (originally named Elsinore Players) in 2022, with the mission to challenge and entertain. Neumann, the 11-time Broadway World Award nominee, clearly focuses on the deconstruction of text and character motivation in “Shooting Star”; Ewing and Rohr are well-known actors throughout the Chicago area, and have shared the stage in Elsinore’s two previous productions, Edward Albee’s “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” and Terrence McNally’s “Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune.”

Dietz’s wistful comedy under the Neumann, Rohr and Ewing umbrella delightfully showcases the tenderness and nostalgia of an unexpected reunion, and the revisiting of a shared past. And aren’t these the elements ripe for a playwright’s dramatic harvesting?

At a Midwest airport, Reed and Elena are stranded in a blizzard Reed calls “the greatest blizzard of the century, although there was plenty of the century left.” Elena later describes the snowflakes as “the size of doilies.” You get the picture.

Elena is trying to get to Boston to see her oldest friend, Ginny (dealing with a husband-and-wife problem – “not sure who is the ex”), and Reed is trying to get to Austin in a “pointless trip” for a meeting with his boss, Conrad, that “I don’t want or need to be at.” Elena notices Reed first at the gate. The plot thickens – Reed and Elena were college sweethearts who lived and loved together for two years in Madison, Wisconsin, “in a funky, threadbare apartment.” Marooned, they have little choice but to acknowledge and speak to each other.

Reed is the first to arrive onstage. As Elena says, he is the definitive “businessman in a box.” And with Ewing’s posture, handsome physique and attention to his phone and black briefcase, he is all that. (The navy blue suit and yellow tie with black polka dots help, too.) Ewing portrays Reed as amiable, troubled, a portrayal of someone who morphed into a conservative (he wanted to be a songwriter and was a Democrat). He is a strong, expressive, intelligent actor. His slow ascent and release into anger and truth is wonderfully convincing. Ewing also knows how to deliver comedic lines (the NPR pledge), and he will assault your heart with his recounting of his reaction to his daughter Kirsten’s dance class desires, and the “bad bye.”

Rohr is also a strong actor: as the single Elena, Rohr is quirky, sweet, hard and wry. She also gets to deliver some wonderfully honest lines, and does so with clarity and understanding: “I got too interesting. A woman needs to marry before she grows interesting” … “Why pledge to the NPR? It’s free, and they don’t know who you are anyway.” And in explanation of the cold calls she makes to collect data about TV shows and cereals for the Lone Star Consumer Company, “I am the phone call no one wants.”

Rohr appears carrying a rain stick, dressed in a gauzy brown midi dress complete with boots, leather jacket and turquoise jewelry, so typical of her character. Her Elena is buoyant, and also demonstrates a lot of charm in her peace, love and tranquility mantra. Rohr is engaging and vulnerable in her careful release of mutual confessions.

Both actors layer their regrets and grief; both provide targeted delivery of astute jokes about their lives before and after – relatable to those of us in the audience. Ewing and Rohr have a stage history, and their chemistry is not only compatible, it’s credible. It’s easy to believe their characters’ remembered closeness, their memories shared and not shared, the current complications of their lives. You have to be good actors with a good director to pull that off for 90 minutes.

The “Shooting Star” set built by Doug Neumann is realistic – there are authentic airport lobby seats, a working departure screen and windows, so slanted and darkened that I wanted to go up and check where the 747s were. Audience attention is held: Ewing and Rohr are literally and constantly within audience reach in their blocking. At times, Ewing and Rohr talk directly to the audience, which helps expand the background of their characters’ lives. And watch those times on the departure screen, spanning roughly 18 hours. The scenes are short and well-paced, and include diverse topics like politics (Bush and Reagan, red versus blue), parenting, marriage and the 1970s (“Love Story,” Peter Frampton and “Jonathan Livingston Seagull”).

Neumann, Rohr and Ewing selected their third production well. “Shooting Star” is relatable, genuinely interesting and compelling, if not a tiny bit predictable. The characters are well-suited to Ewing and Rohr’s substantial talents and Neumann’s expertise. But I’ll bet on the car ride home, you’ll be wondering: “What would I say if I ran into … ”

• Regina Belt-Daniels is a retired Reading Recovery and special education teacher who loves to direct and act. When not traveling with her husband, she can be found on stage, backstage and writing theater reviews somewhere.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: ‘Shooting Star’

WHERE: First United Methodist Church, 216 E. Highland Ave., Elgin

WHEN: 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 3 p.m. Sundays through Oct. 15

COST: $22 for general admission, $18 for seniors, students, military

INFORMATION: eeshootingstar.eventbrite.com