Kelly Lester and Diane Guerrero Photo by Daniel Rader

The playwright provides a snappy, pertinent script and Diane Guerrero (catching A's spirit and audacity immediately) and Kelly Lester (embodying N, the disciplined, unshakable House speaker with aplomb) do the rest. These contrasting personas, displayed with zest by two fine actresses, add up to an artistic treat.

A, from Queens and the Bronx, opens the show just after she's won a Democratic primary, and she appears to be streaming words to her supporters. She wears (costumer designer Mika Eubanks) a dark trouser-type suit, but her bright red lipstick is absolutely glaring. N, dressed in a beautifully tailored suit (a shade of pink) with skirt, has a ready answer to A's query of "Where did you come from?" N replies, "Baltimore, where did you come from?" They're meeting in N's office (Brian Prather furnishes the appropriately simple set), where this show zips into action and flies onward.

Mario Correa once worked as a congressional aide and he knows the territory. When an earlier N/A production was produced at Lincoln Center's Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater, he described the play as one which addressed "ideas and ideals." True, and it's about Ocasio-Cortez and Pelosi and their value systems. A is clearly a progressive, and the actual AOC (in real life) continues to elevate her voice as she explores solutions to urgent political situations in this country. Pelosi, no longer Speaker of the House, was an active force in realizing the promise democracy holds. Within the context of the play, N is pragmatic, always (as it is scripted) aware that the number 218 is pivotal to secure a winning house vote.

N is a deft lobbyist who will play a political game to garner support. She always has the finish line in view and will utilize whatever means she needs to get there. A is a young, determined person, one who will accelerate and attempt to leap over obstacles in her path. She is strong and perceptive, perhaps never one to accept compromise. Compromise, that very word, defines much of N's strategy. She definitely has proven she can make gains by working within "the system" while A, who not so long ago was a bartender counting on salary and tips to survive, needs to find her way. After all, she steps into a role as an employee of the government of the United States which comes along with rules and regulations. Her impulse, however, is to push limits.

Correa and the splendid performers sustain the vigorous back-and-forth without pause. There are moments of levity, to be sure. The women parry, and dig at one another while holding fast to very different beliefs. N is cognizant that she needs Republicans to achieve her goals, which involve passage of specific laws. A is a social justice advocate who, early on, speaks of the Green New Deal. She is also a Puerto Rican woman who is entering an establishment which is, for the most part, white. N, too, has made quite a journey. She quips, "I birthed five children in six years. I haven't slept since 1964."

The characters' responses to the January 6th insurrection quickly send theatregoers back to that infamous, unforgettable Capitol invasion. The sequence is short, but its sharp-edged potency reverberates. Wheeler Moon's lighting and Brandon Bulls' sound actively contribute here and elsewhere.

Director Katie Birenboim chooses to aggressively push the pace of this play, which leaves little time for relaxation. The actors must drive their exchanges with vitality. Both of these characters are activists, even if individual means of expression are dissimilar. Each is strong, avid and physical. Kelly Lester's N, at one point, stands in place but her fists, at her side, are clenched. The two-person performance is not frenzied but disciplined. Thus, N/A becomes a dynamic experience for both those on stage and those watching from the audience as well.

N/A runs through June 22, 2025, at Barrington Stage Company, St. Germain Stage, 36 Linden St., Pittsfield MA. For tickets and information, please call 413-236-8888 or visit barringtonstageco.org.