Evaluate: ‘tiny father,’ a new play about unforeseen parenthood, is disappointingly small critical

Fatherhood was not in Daniel’s options. A freelance event planner for bookstores, he by no means imagined his “friends with benefits” arrangement with Yuki, a function colleague, would have resulted in him turning out to be the father of a child born 14 weeks ahead of expression.

The environment for “tiny father,” a perform by Mike Lew that’s obtaining its West Coastline premiere at the Geffen Playhouse’s Gil Cates Theater, is a neonatal intensive treatment unit. Tragedy strikes early in this small-scale drama, leaving Daniel the sole parent of this having difficulties toddler, who’s wired up in a crystal clear plastic incubator.

Daniel (Maurice Williams) isn’t absolutely sure irrespective of whether he should really adhere all-around. Yuki was dealing with her pregnancy solo, but now there’s no a single else to stage in. Yuki’s moms and dads live in Japan and are far too previous for touring. And Caroline (Tiffany Villarin), the night time nurse preserving vigil, is currently contacting him Papa.

Motivation is not Daniel’s robust suit. And Sophia, the name he reluctantly nevertheless tenderly decides on for the little one, has difficulties that are not heading to be solved right away. She has at least a three-month keep at the clinic prior to her. And every day, each hour in point, is fraught with peril.

Hooked up to a laptop, she sets off alarms when her breathing slows or her coronary heart rate modifications. Her temperature desires to be routinely checked. Feeding, modifying and suctioning can swiftly transform into unexpected emergency strategies. Daniel anxieties that Sophia appears to be like Voldo, a knife-wielding, heavily bandaged character in a online video match — a reference that implies just how considerably off he is from from this amount of care-having duty.

“tiny father,” directed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel, charts the infant’s development as days, months and at some point months go by in the clinic. Sophia calls for consistent attention, but her survival doesn’t so significantly drive the plot as establish the play’s context. The genuine issue right here is no matter whether Daniel can summon the maturity which is desired to presume the position of father.

The outlook at first isn’t promising. But immediately after an early absence, he results in being a staple of his daughter’s treatment. His reliance on Caroline, a scrupulously attentive if at periods officious nurse with two young small children of her possess, is section of the story. But their lives aren’t meant to converge outside of the hospital room, and the play’s results seem labored out unbiased of what the figures learn from each other.

Maurice Williams in “tiny father” at Geffen Playhouse.

(Jeff Lorch)

Plays developed all-around two actors, like “tiny father,” have an air of contrivance to them. A tale unfolds through snapshot interactions, restricting how a playwright moves ahead. The locked-in mother nature of the theatrical scenario can immediately exhaust dialogue, and Lew will come up vacant on occasion in short scenes that go nowhere.

Daniel’s stress at owning to wait and look at at the hospital interprets to the viewers. The link involving Daniel and Caroline deepens but their situational romance is institutionally defined. When troubles of id politics and the medical technique are elevated in tense exchanges, Lew’s language turns into generic. The people cough up plan points.

Tiffany Villarin, remaining, and Maurice Williams in “tiny father” at Geffen Playhouse.

(Jeff Lorch)

I’m a smooth contact for medical center dramas, but the only thing I cared about was infant Sophia’s wellness and welfare. Daniel and Caroline did not entail me enough, and for that I blame the producing extra than the performing.

Next the playwright’s direct, Williams and Villarin telegraph apparent aspects of their people. Williams can make guaranteed we do not miss Daniel’s paternal ambivalence. Villarin briskly conveys Caroline’s no-nonsense manner. The character setups are what you could possibly assume from a Netflix sequence engineered for an age of distracted viewership.

Von Stuelpnagel may have directed his actors to reveal contradictory features of their people. But Lew, whose plays involve “Teenage Dick” and “Tiger Type!,” hasn’t delivered them with sufficient countervailing content.

“tiny father’ would have worked far better on the Geffen Playhouse’s much more intimate Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater. The production, with scenic design and style by David Meyer making a fluid medical center device collage, lends the effect of remarkable speed and scope. The elaborate audio design and style crew contributes acoustic levels of suspense and get worried. But the enjoy itself is untimely.