InMedea,an avant-garde take on the Greek tragedy.
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In a bare room, Rose Byrne approaches Bobby Cannavale with a painting.
Its a gift that is also clearly a ploy to get back into his life.
They talk about their kids and vaguely of her recovery from some kind of trauma.
Hes seeing someone else now.
She claims to be over it, yet she cant help but bring it up.
This isnt a good conversation, he says.
Its not the best, its not the worst, she counters.
I feel as if its there, Stone says.
And the sadness of it also not being possible.
(They met through mutual friends while Byrne was playing legal psychodrama across from Glenn Close inDamages.)
They followed those up with rolesas villains in the 2015 comedySpy.
They can make it feel like sex is on the table immediately, even in a quiet rehearsal room.
She laughs, firm yet charming.
I know youre just doing your job.
If not that interesting to them, its fascinating for us.
In addition to the fraught story, the two actors have to navigate Stones bolder directorial choices.
The sets a bit disorienting when you first see it, he says.
When the actors onstage, it looks like youre floating.
It was just about convincingherto do it, Cannavale jokes, elbowing Byrne.
She laughs, deflecting focus to the pragmatic.
Of course, she wanted to doMedea.
But really, so much depends on just having someone to watch the children.
Its hard, Byrne points out.
You have two parents not putting kids to bed.
Thats the biggest part of the decision.
Given her connection to the country, she is deeply affected by the ongoing wildfires.
And shes furious with the most tone-deaf fucking [prime minister], Scott Morrison.
Its a climate crisis, and he wont address it as that, she says.
Hes a real piece of work, that one.
Puffing out his chest, Cannavale joins the bit: They dont know who we are!
Cannavale has been through the process of raising a child before.
(Hes a dead bounty hunter now, his father quips.)
When Jake was young, Cannavale was just starting his own career and hustling for jobs.
Byrne laughs at the idea of his retiring.
And youll do what?, she asks.
Live!, he announces, as if its obvious.
But Cannavale is the planner in the family.
Hed like to keep working, though at his current, somewhat anonymous level of fame.
I actively dont want to not be able to ride the subway, he insists.
So what are Byrnes plans?
Im a little bit more moment to moment, she admits.
Thats why were a good yin and yang.
Theres a trickster spirit in Byrne that takes its time to reveal itself.
You think hes the goofball but then realize that shes working her own angle.
Theres some of that play in their working relationship as they figure out where to move for different projects.
They relocated to Toronto for a few months last year, whenByrne played Gloria Steinem in an FX series.
First of all, that number is wrong.
Its probably a wider gap, he says.
Byrne laughs and slips her wrist inside his elbow, a reflexive gesture she repeats in moments like this.
Its loving but also a nudge that maybe hes saying too much again.
Im kidding!, he continues.
Were not, Byrne says.
Its just easier to sayhusbandandwife.
Boyfriend and girlfriendfeels so young, he adds.
At this point, Byrne has her hand wrapped under his elbow again and peers at him with amusement.
What else could we say?, he asks, looking right at her.
A firm two syllables, heavy with sauce.
Were back inside a bit, where they feel most comfortable at least with a reporter nearby.
My lover, Bobby, she says.
It sounds especially sarcastic in her Australian accent, almost rhyming:lohvah, Bohbbay.Who gives a shit?
!, he says.
Its just funny what people care about.
Medeais at BAM through February 23.
