‘What Happened Was…’ Supplies a Witty and Mysterious Mediation on Life and Love

“What Happened Was…,” Tom Noonan’s lovely, wrenching play tracing a particularly intense first date, takes its title from a story written and recited by one of its two characters. The author describes it as a children’s yarn, but its details are so grotesquely mortifying, and so darkly hilarious at times, that they would leave Roald Dahl gasping for air.It’s telling that Noonan, who was better known as an actor and just died in February, chose to name the play — written more than three decades ago and adapted into a movie starring Noonan, which won the Grand Jury Prize at 1994’s Sundance Film Festival — after this twisted tale within a tale, because his one-act piece follows a man and woman whose own emotional scars are obviously deep, and just as plainly stretch back to their youth.By the time we meet them, Michael and Jackie — played in director Ian Rickson’s new off-Broadway production, superbly, by Corey Stoll and Cecily Strong — have grown accustomed to protecting themselves through isolation. Both work at a Manhattan law firm, Michael as a paralegal and Jackie as a secretary, or an “executive assistant,” as she prefers to call her position.The date takes place in Jackie’s apartment, which scenic designers Brett J. Banakis and Christine Jones have given the marks of a confirmed bachelorette’s residence, down to a dressing area strung with lights. In the opening moments, Jackie pops a dish in the microwave, sips a glass of wine, and puts on a Carole King recording, giving us every reason to believe she’s about to enjoy a relaxing evening alone. Then Michael turns up. It’s clear from the start that he’s socially awkward. He seems confused when Jackie asks to take his jacket and expresses reluctance when she mentions she’s preparing seafood. She offers to serve the wine he has brought along, but he says, “You don’t have to open it just because I brought it.” Jackie observes he is insecure, which initially only adds to his discomfort.It emerges that they’re from different worlds: Jackie hails from a large family and went to a community college, while Michael is a Harvard man who also attended law school, though he didn’t graduate. “I wanted a heroic life — a life of action,” he admits at one point. Instead, he spends his days working for men he views as corrupt — though he is furtively taking notes for a book exposing them, or the system that empowers them.Cecily Strong and Corey Stoll in ‘What Happened Was…’ Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMadeAt least, that’s what Michael tells Jackie; the truth is more complicated and more unnerving. Jackie, too, has secrets, and if she never spells them out, we get hints, along with a clear sense that she’s nowhere near as ditzy or inarticulate as she can seem at first.Noonan’s script keeps us rapt as both characters are gradually, hauntingly revealed, as though by pieces in an expertly constructed puzzle. Mr. Rickson, who has recently guided other stars such as Hugh Jackman and Liev Schreiber at this venue, the Minetta Lane Theatre, as part of a repertory season presented by Audible Theater and Together, a company formed by Mr. Jackman and British producer Sonia Friedman, culls witty and profoundly affecting performances from both players.Mr. Stoll, an accomplished stage and film actor, also known to television audiences for his work in series like “House of Cards” and “Billions,” makes Michael a fascinating enigma. “I should have known when the smartest, funniest, nicest guy in the office is a paralegal who does the xeroxing — I should have known that you were where you want to be,” Jackie says in a moment of exasperation. While it’s not as simple as that, Mr. Stoll conveys his character’s muted yearning in a beautifully shaded portrait that can be as funny as it is heartbreaking.Ms. Strong, a “Saturday Night Live” alumna, brings a similar depth to Jackie, approaching the role with equal parts acerbic humor and compassion and evincing her repressed frustration and anger. After cutting Michael down with that merciless insight into his career progress, or lack of it, she notes, “We all are where we are because we want to be there…right?”It’s an intriguing question but also a somewhat specious one. “What Happened Was…” gains its quiet, stirring power by acknowledging that where any of us arrive in life is shaped by many factors, both internal and external. Even if you’ve caught the play before, this impeccable production is a must-see.

‘What Happened Was…’ Supplies a Witty and Mysterious Mediation on Life and Love

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