Reviewed by Nicholas Linnehan

Have you loved someone so much that you thought you’d die without them? In facet, the very air you breathed depended on their existence? If you can relate to this unhealthy gut- wrenching need then you’ll relate to Beloved brought to us by the Scandinavian American Theater Company. This play, written by Lisa Langseth, has great emotional depth and force, but lacks many logistical details that leave us confused. As a result, this play could be a powerhouse but the red flags it raises detract from its overall impact.

Katerina is in a rotten suburb and yearns for a world filled with culture and refinery. In her current predicament she is living with her blue colored boyfriend Matthias, who has no interest in art, society and the finer things in life. When Katerina lands a job as a receptionist in a concert hall, she meets Adam, an illustrious composer who has everything Katerina seemingly wants. Eventually the two have an affair. Yet, Adam is married with a baby. This does not stop the two of them and Katerina develops a blinding need for Adam and she can not live without him. She learns the hard way that all that glitters is not gold.

In this one woman show Ellinor Dilorenzo does a remarkable job capturing the sick emotional incessant need that Katerina feels for Adam. Her pain is palpable and heart breaking to witness. As a general rule, I do not go to see one person shows. I tend to find them tedious to listen to. Watching one person drone on and on for nearly 90 minutes can feel like an eternity and lacking action. But Dilorenzo gives us a performance that is anything that is boring. We follow her harrowing heart ache fully and are with her every step of the way.

Unfortunately, the script is not fully fleshed out. There are many details missing that take us out of the world of the play. For example, we are never quite sure where we are. It seems like we are in Europe, but there are some specific American references that make us unsure of where this story is happening. Throughout the play Katerina is putting things in a suitcase, but we never know where she is going or leaving from? The last location of the play is set in her grandma’s apartment and she says Adam can now visit her any time. But where is the grandma and if the grandma is dead how is the unemployed Katerina living there? All of these loose ends add up and eventually take us out of the world of the play. There is an unnecessary and melodramatic event in the middle of the play that is jarring and not believable. It is a rather big plot twist, yet  is dealt with in less than five minutes, which  makes us wonder why it is there in the first place?

This is a shame because DiLorenzo does her best to keep us emotionally invested and she mostly succeeds. Her talent is undeniable, but the scripts flaws are too big to ignore. This is a shame because Beloved packs an emotional punch that lands strongly. Yet, like a house without a strong foundation, it can only hold so much before it completely collapses.

Beloved plays now through August 18, 2018 at Theater Row 410 W 42nd St. http://www.SATCNYC.ORG