A 22-year-old woman and a 42-year-old man meet in New York City in 1911 when she answers his ad for a ballroom dancer who wants to dance for royalty. That's how Allan Knee's 2000 "Syncopation" -- being given its West Coast premiere by Marin Theatre Company -- sets off on its two-character journey of transformation. The man, Henry Ribolow (Charles Shaw Robinson), is a Jewish meat packer who came to the United States from Poland when he was 7. He lives with his hypochondriac mother. The woman, Anna Bianchi (Lisa Morse), lives with her Italian immigrant father and works as a beader in a garment factory.
Henry has rented a drafty, dusty dance studio on the sixth floor of an old building with no elevator. There he dreams of becoming a famous dancer and makes up his own steps. Anna was very hesitant about answering his ad, but something kept pulling her. Their initial meeting is tentative, but they agree to meet once a week to practice. As time goes on, they practice more often. In the meantime, she begins to blossom, meeting people who broaden her horizons and delaying her marriage to a nice man whom she likes but doesn't love. In the meantime, he also finds himself more adventurous and more interested in her. The passage of time is indicated by each character's announcing the date and directly telling the audience what has happened.
Between the script and Eleanor Reissa's direction, the first act seems repetitious and moves slowly. The second act picks up but still feels flat. Consequently, the two characters don't engage the audience as much as they should. The dancing, credited to dance collaborator Lawrence Ewing, is nicely integrated into the action. Andrea Bechert's set design captures the dreariness of the studio, while Pamila Z. Gray's lighting and Norman Kern's sound, featuring ragtime music, add to the ambiance. The period costumes are by Anna Oliver.
"Syncopation" has a solid premise, but neither the script nor the direction fully capitalizes on it.