New York Magazine – August 05, 2019

56 new york | august 5–18, 2019

The CULTURE PAGES

sea wall/a life is at the Hudson Theatre.

T

hey headline Sea

Wall/A Life, but aside

from the curtain call,

Jake Gyllenhaal and

Tom Sturridge are never

onstage at the same

time. But they’ve clearly become friends,

joking when I meet them backstage about

posing on the sofa in the st yle of those sul-

try ads for Burn This with Keri Russell

and Adam Driver. As the more established

movie star, Gyllenhaal acts a bit like the

older brother to Sturridge’s more intro-

verted, fidgety British sibling, though we’re

grading on a curve here: They’re both ner-

vous, fidgety people. Also, they are wearing

matching gold chains.

The show started at the Public Theater

in February and March and now has

moved to Broadway with the same direc-

tor, Carrie Cracknell. In the first of the

two monologues, Sea Wall, by Simon Ste-

phens, Sturridge plays a photographer

who describes his relationship with his

wife and father-in-law; then comes A Life,

by Nick Payne, in which Gyllenhaal’s

character talks alternately about his

father’s illness and his wife’s pregnancy.

Both monologues re veal a tragedy at

their centers, which might make them

seem like acting exercises. As might get-

ting two actors together to talk about

what the other is doing onstage and how

each of them got there. One thing Gyllen-

haal is sure of is that the show has been

subtly enlivened in its transfer. If nothing

else, by the weather outside. “People

Photograph by Jonas Fredwall Karlsson

Sea Wall in the

Summertime

Jake Gyllenhaal and Tom

Sturridge in dialogue about taking

their conjoined monologues

to Broadway. By Jackson McHenry

56

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The CULTURE PAGES

seawall/alifeisattheHudsonTheatre.

T

hey headline Sea

Wall/ALife,butaside

from thecurtaincall,

Jake Gyllenhaal and

TomSturridge are never

onstage at the same

time.Butthey’veclearlybecomefriends,

jokingwhenI meetthembackstageabout

posingonthesofainthest yleofthosesul-

try adsforBurn ThiswithKeriRussell

andAdamDriver.As themore established

moviestar, Gyllenhaalactsa bitlike the

olderbrothertoSturridge’s more intro-

verted,fidgetyBritishsibling,thoughwe’re

gradingona curvehere: They’rebothner-

vous,fidgetypeople.Also,they are wearing

matchinggoldchains.

Theshowstartedat thePublicTheater

inFebruary andMarchandnowhas

movedtoBroadwaywiththesamedirec-

tor,CarrieCracknell.In thefirstofthe

twomonologues,Sea Wall,bySimonSte-

phens,Sturridgeplaysa photographer

whodescribeshisrelationshipwithhis

wifeandfather-in-law;thencomesA Life,

byNickPayne,in whichGyllenhaal’s

character talks alternatelyabouthis

father’s illnessandhiswife’s pregnancy.

Bothmonologuesre veala tragedyat

theircenters,whichmightmakethem

seemlikeactingexercises.As mightget-

tingtwoactorstogethertotalkabout

whattheotheris doingonstageandhow

eachofthemgotthere. OnethingGyllen-

haalissureofisthat theshowhasbeen

subtlyenlivenedinitstransfer. If nothing

else,bythe weatheroutside.“People

Photograph by Jonas Fredwall Karlsson

Sea Wall in the

Summertime

Jake Gyllenhaal and Tom

Sturridge in dialogue about taking

their conjoined monologues

to Broadway. By Jackson McHenry

56