Sadie Shannon, Jerry Tracy, and Erik J Pratt in Exit 16 (Hypothesis: A Theatre Lab/Arts Asylum)
One of my favorite genres in all of entertainment is the time loop, when a character or characters are stuck repeating the same day over and over and over for reasons typically unknown to them. I find these stories irresistible. If there’s a time loop to watch, I will be seated for it.
Technically, arguably, the time loop is more of a plot device than a genre, since the concept has proven it can transcend genre. It’s naturally well-suited to horror, but it’s been applied well to action movies, dramas, and even rom-coms. Time loop stories are remarkably versatile, but they are largely limited to the medium of film. They do occasionally pop up elsewhere—there are some fantastic time loop novels and television shows—but time loops in live theatre are extremely rare. So you can imagine my excitement over Exit 16, a new time loop dramedy currently running at the Arts Asylum.
Written and directed by Jamie Lin Pratt, Exit 16 is set at a rural roadside diner filled with a motley cast of characters. Waitress June (Sadie Shannon) has a 1950s aesthetic (just like the diner itself) and she is all smiles as she chats up her customers. John (Jerry Tracy) is the quintessential gruff old-timer, parking himself at the counter with his coffee, pie, and crossword, just as he does every day.
If these two (plus Jamie Lindemann’s charming retro set design) give the impression that this is a period play, we are brought back to the present by Devon (Barbara Handy) and Sam (Em Coffin), a couple at a booth on the far side of the diner. They watch their fellow patrons with curious intensity, breaking their attention away only to quietly argue amongst themselves.
The newcomer to the scene is Tom (Erik J Pratt). He’s come to the diner on a mission to write a travel book about local restaurants off every highway exit 16. His book is more about the people he meets than the food they serve, and he’s eager to ask the locals questions about their lives—even though, as we soon learn, he’s asked all the same questions many times before.
In a time loop, the big question is how and why the characters are stuck in the loop—and how to break free. Exit 16 develops a satisfying mystery that weaves in real events of American history and explores the lasting impact of racial violence, without sacrificing character development. That the play dives into such dark themes within a context that evokes a classic TV sitcom adds a delicious layer of menace simmering under the surface.
Perhaps one of the most difficult aspects of mounting a live time loop production is conveying the mechanics of the time reset. In film, this is usually conveyed with a cut to black and back to the protagonist waking up in bed or wherever they are when a new loop starts. In Exit 16, the reset comes with flickering lights and a powering-down sound effect. It’s a bit cheesy, but it does, admittedly, get the point across. The talented cast stays grounded and specific in their reactions (or lack thereof) to the loop, which also goes a long way in selling the effect.
With Exit 16, Pratt has taken a big swing and created an ambitious work that is original and poignant. It’s also a ton of fun, maintaining levity while exploring serious themes. The process of creating the play is also unique, as audience feedback sessions are hosted after every performance with the intention of implementing that feedback in performances later in the show’s run. That means the play might be different in its second weekend than it was on opening night.
The process is, fittingly, its own form of time loop, repeating the same events over and over, making alterations as they go until they feel they’ve gotten it just right.
“Exit 16,” a production of Hypothesis: A Theatre Lab in collaboration with The Arts Asylum, runs through April 20 at the Arts Asylum, 824 E. Meyer Blvd. For more information, visit www.theartsasylum.org.
