You’ll think twice about taking advantage of the Missed Connections section on Craigslist after seeing “The Man Under.” Paul Bomba’s strained drama about a man who falls in love with a woman he meets in the bowels of the NYC subway system makes it clear that some people, as well as some plays, are best avoided.
In its world premiere by the Athena Theatre, the play begins with Jeff (playwright Bomba) spotting a beautiful young woman as he narrowly resists the impulse to throw himself in front of a moving train. Returning to the small apartment he shares with Martin (Curran Connor), he eagerly describes his newfound obsession while lamenting the fact that he has no idea who she is.
“Sad eyes” is about all he can come up with by way of a description, so the pair spend the next week desperately prowling the station where Jeff saw her.
Eventually he finds the woman, Lisa (Briana Pozner), who enthusiastically introduces him to her rather dangerous habit of lying down on the tracks while a train passes above (simulated by lights).
As romance quickly blossoms between the two obviously damaged souls, a shy Martin tries to deal with his attraction to next-door neighbor Jennifer (Veronique Ory). She’s newly available, having thrown out the cheating boyfriend who still periodically shows up in her apartment.
This urban romance has its heart in the right place, attempting to examine the ways in which we selfsabotage our attempts at finding love and happiness. But although it captures some essential truths — the disturbed Lisa will bring shudders to anyone who’s fallen hard for the wrong person — it’s far too awkward in its execution. Director Benjamin Kamine (“Job”) is unable to reconcile the play’s wild tonal shifts between sweet romance and “Vertigo”-like mystery.
The youthful ensemble struggles to bring life to schematic roles without much success, although Ory is quietly appealing as the lovelorn Jennifer. While lighting designer Charlie Forster and sound designer Jeremy S. Bloom impressively create the illusion of subway trains in the tiny theater space, you’re best off letting “The Man Under” pass you by.