Jasmine Guy Stars in ‘The Guys’ at Theatrical Outfit
Jasmine Guy and Brian Kurlander
“The Guys,” playing at Theatrical Outfit, peers into the lives of some ordinary firemen who lost their lives performing extraordinary deeds just after the Twin Towers were hit on 9/11 .
In the aftermath of the killings, New York fire department captain Nick (Brian Kurlander) calls upon a professional writer, Joan (Jasmine Guy), to write eulogies he’ll be able to present to the friends and families of eight men who died trying to save victims.
Playwright Anne Nelson brings some life to the people who died—one victim was the food critic of the firehouse, and one made his own firefighting tools that were better than any he could get from a hardware store—but there is nothing that jumps out and rips at your heart. Yes, it’s sad that people died, but we just get a glimmer of the victims’ lives and miss that poignant punch to the gut.
Guy and Kurlander do a fine job in their roles. Most touching is when Kurlander transforms from a defensive, guarded captain who has difficulty expressing himself to presenting the eulogies of his victims at a ceremony for their friends and families. The day the Twin Towers toppled the city was paralyzed with fear for weeks . In just under 1.5 hours, “The Guys” just touches the surface.
Directed by Elisa Carlson, “The Guys” runs at Theatrical Outfit through Oct. 6.
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