Anthony Adu and Halin Moss Photo by Caroline Yang

Now having seen this play, another tender and beautiful work by Love, I realize that they were waiting for it to gel into its final form in order to discern the perfect title for it–and When We Are Found is indeed a perfect description of this one act-play, which follows the agonizing search by one lover for his beloved after a wrenching separation. The title instills hope that the two will find one another at some point, but we are filled with questions: when, how, and most pointedly, in what condition? How will the lovers experience their moment of reuniting? Will their love survive the bruising press of all they have endured, or will their struggle erode the passion, leaving only the shell of its memories? What will being "found" look like, and how will it feel?

Directed by Lamar Perry, the play keeps the form of a fable, a story that feels too dreamlike to be real, and exists only as a parable, as a shadow image of real life as we understand it. Leslie Parker's evocative choreography enhances the staging, which is told by movement and image as much as by text.

The performance space is simply and beautifully conceived (Nicholas Ponting designed the set), with the stage embraced by a circle truncated at the bottom, as if to mimic the appearance of rising and setting suns. Projections, wonderfully designed by Miko Simmons, appear continuously within that space throughout the play, forming starry night skies, or the bright streaks of a sunrise, or churning peaks of endless sea, among other visions. These are extended onto the stage floor by the complementary lighting designed by Sammy Webster. A simple wooden rowboat rests in one corner of the stage. The soundscape mixes the soothing rhythm of lapping waves with techno-driven music that seems to capture the pulsation of life, knit together by composer Namir Fearce and sound designer Scott Edwards.

The fable, for it really does take the form of a fable, begins with Man 1 and Man 2 discovering one another, playfully exploring their sense of the other, and being drawn in to deeper and deeper levels of intimacy, all presented without words, through movement redolent with grace and sensuality. Their simple clothing–shirtless, barefoot, wearing fitting pants with unfinished hems–and the projected images inform us they live in an arcadian state. Then in a stark awakening from this reverie, a three-masted wooden sailing ship appears in projection, and both men find themselves struggling to avoid capture. Man 2 manages to elude the slavers; Man 1 is imprisoned and taken away.

Heartbroken, Man 2 sets out in the boat in search of his beloved, having no idea, of course, of the magnitude of that quest. His journey forces him to face hunger, thirst and exhaustion. He also has encounters with miraculous beings–a talking fish, the moon, and the sun–each playing a part in Man 2's journey, fostering his growth and encouraging him onward. It is very much in the mythic form of a hero's journey.

I cannot reveal the sensitively conceived manner in which Man 1 and Man 2, once found, approach one another, or what transpires between them, or the resolution of their reunion. About the coda that follows this, I will say only two things: that it is at this point that the fable enters the realm of real life, and that is it is perfect–perfectly written, perfectly staged, and perfectly performed by these two wondrous actors.

Halin Moss performs as Man 2 for the entirety of the play. This allows him to reveal his character to us, even as Man 2 is revealed to himself, discovering resilience, courage and wit he might not have found if not so severely tested. Moss's performance is all the more impressive upon reading the program notes that inform us it is his first role after graduating from the University of San Diego. It is quite a remarkable post-graduate debut for this talented actor.

Anthony Adu plays Man 1, but only through the first section of the fable. We do not see Man 1 again for a long time, allowing Adu to appear as the Dirt, the Fish, the Moon and the Sun. While none of these are with us long enough to develop deeply, Adu does a wonderful job of transforming himself into each one, taking on different qualities and nuances. Fair to say, Adu is helped in this by the inventive costumes designed by Gregory Horton, along with Mary Farrell and Hannah Walvatne, including what just might be the most wonderful fish costume I have ever seen.

The love story at the heart of When We Are Found is between two men, beautifully and honestly depicted. Playwright Love self-identifies as queer, and it is not surprising that they would choose to build their play around a queer love story. It did occur to me to wonder whether the way the tale plays out, the joy Man 1 and Man 2 experience in their love, the agony of their separation, and the profundity of being found, would be any less if the characters were of different sexes. My initial response was, no, Man 1 and Woman 2 (or visa versa) would love as deeply, grieve as longingly, and strive as mightily to find the other. Think of Orpheus' quest for Eurydice.

Perhaps, though, the added exhilaration of finding one's soul-mate (if I may inject that tired phrase here) against the odds of a censorious society make the loss that much harder to bear, the search for reconnection that much more essential. There is only one line in When We Are Found in which Man 2 voices concern over how people others to react to the two of them being together–a query soon overcome with the power of a kiss before the fable moves on. But maybe that is enough to make the point that, okay, the feelings expressed in When We Are Found are universal, but even more so. I truly don't know. It makes no difference in terms of valuing Love's artistry and admiring Penumbra's production, but is a question that lingers, which is probably a good thing.

When We Are Found, unlike Sugar in Our Wounds, is not a complicated story, as it adheres to its early descriptor, a fable, and fables are generally simple tales with a linear narrative.

That said, the feelings it evokes, particularly its presentation of the strength we derive from authentic love, and love's ability to leap across barriers of time and space, are overwhelmingly profound. The staging given by Penumbra is sublime in every regard, from direction to design to performance. I can honestly say that I did not as much "see" When We Are Found, as experience it as nourishment for my heart and soul.

When We Are Found runs through May 18, 2025, at Penumbra Theatre, 270 North Kent Street, Saint Paul MN. For tickets and information, please visit www.penumbratheatre.org.

Playwright: Darja R. Love; Director: Lamar Perry; Choreographer: Leslie Parker; Composer: Namir Fearce; Scenic Designer: Nicholas Ponting; Projections Designer: Miko Simmons; Costume Designer: Gregory Horton; Assistant Costume Designers: Mary Farrell, Hannah Walvatne; Sound Designer: Scott Edwards; Lighting Designer: Sammy Webster; Props Designer: Julia Cervera; Wigs and Makeup Designer: Jamakah Webb; Stage Manager: Megan West; Assistant Stage Manager: Constance Brevell.

Cast: Anthony Adu (Man 1/the Dirt/the Fish/the Moon/the Sun/the Found), Halin Moss (Man 2/the Seeker).