It’s sluggishly paced, overflowing with sub plots and nearly three hours long. So why is “The Starry Messenger” so moving? Maybe it’s because there’s so much empathy for its characters that all of them, even the unseen ones, seem to possess a deep inner life.
Kenneth Lonergan’s tale of the unlikely affair between a morose, middle-aged astronomy teacher and a vibrant younger woman may be a rambling one, but its messiness is the messiness of life.
Matthew Broderick, following several lackluster stage roles, acquits himself beautifully as Mark Williams, who teaches an adult-ed course in astronomy. Stuck in a dead-end job and bored with his marriage, his only pleasure comes from explaining the mysteries of the cosmos.
Not that his students appreciate him: One obtuse woman (Stephanie Cannon) can’t grasp even the simplest concept, while a young man (Kieran Culkin) takes it upon himself to grade his teacher’s efforts, with unflattering results.
So when a single mother, Angela (the appealing Catalina Sandino Moreno, of “Maria Full of Grace”), walks in to ask about a course for her 9-year-old son, Mark feels the stirrings of passion, as Angela slowly draws him out of his shell.
Their relationship forms the heart of the play, which is equally concerned with the lovers’ interactions with the other people in their lives: Mark’s wife, Anne (J. Smith Cameron), with whom he engages in endless logistical negotiations; his colleague Arnold (Grant Shaud), who tries to shake him out of his career stupor; aspiring nurse Angela’s elderly patient (Merwin Goldsmith) and his disaffected daughter (Missy Yager), who resents their affectionate relationship.
The play turns melodramatic, and could use serious tightening. But it’s so beautifully written and acted that its characters get under your skin — you miss them as soon as the curtain goes down.