Robert Liebowitz reviews Unattended Baggage’s production of Cowl Girl.

Theater is an art of memory–unlike film, where you can view ‘Casablanca’ or ‘Citizen Kane’ or ‘The Godfather’ 500 times, a theatrical experience is once around, and only once. It is remembered. It is also an art of creativity, suggestion, and imagination. If you are looking for a rich combination of the above, head down to the Players Theater on MacDougal Street in the Village, and check out Unattended Baggage’s production of ‘Cowl Girl’, a play by Anna Capunay.

According to Webster, a ‘cowl’ is a ‘…a hood or long-hooded cloak, especially of a monk’. While the play contains no Gregorian Chants, the Batman Cowl that The Cowl Girl wears (our unnamed lead, expertly played with the right amount of manic and heartbreak by Yessenia Rivas) traipses through her days making literal cartoon noises, never leaving her 500 square foot apartment, and making guests to her home sign a guest book–in other words, completely blocking out the outside world. The reason? Well, there lies the rub–the journey that Ms. Capunay takes us on to find out that answer is a poignant, harrowing one.

One of the aforementioned cartoons of our youth was Yogi Bear, and his sidekick Boo Boo. He was known to exclaim often, in moments of sheer braggadocio, of ‘being smarter than the average bear.’ Ms. Capunay has talent, and her abilities extend further than that of an ‘average’ playwright. She has a wonderful ear for dialogue, knows how to keep a play moving, fully understands the craft of the art, and on occasion drops literary zingers that reminds the audience that they are in the hands of a master craftswoman. When her sidekick BFF Tabby (ably and warmly played by lilith ma, with spicy comedic timing)  wonders out loud if they were going to ‘Siskel and Ebert-ing the movie’ during a planned night in (as usual), we are armed with the knowledge that our theatrical journey was in the safest of hands.

Exposition is by far the most difficult thing to accomplish when writing and then depicting a play; here, the first few moments after curtain do begin with a sense of confusion, or not being grounded to something, of floating. But when The Mysterious Stranger Alex (portrayed with great affection and humility by Azende Johnson) makes his entrance about ten minutes in, everything becomes abundantly clear, all the way to the bittersweet end.

Ostensibly about Comic-Con fanatics, and their daily machinations, ‘Cowl Girl’ completely transcends the raison-d’etre offered by such people, and is actually a biting, scathing commentary on 21st century life, and the casualties it willfully or inadvertently causes. Except for her cat, her BFF, and her father’s ex-partner Jason, Cowl Girl is completely devoid of human contact–working from her home as an Amazon representative (of course), and getting pet food and White Castle Cheeseburgers delivered to her cubicle with a door. In 2023, a ‘digital life’ may be a requisite for living, and may indeed make life easier to live in certain aspects. But it also comes with a cost

The play is also a sweet take on love, and longing–and belonging. An unlikely romance begins to blossom between her and Alex, as they navigate the unseemly side of capitalism–what is a toy doll from the 1980s worth on eBay? When Alex blithely removes a toy doll from its original box (ironically Pee Wee Herman, who’s real-life creator Paul Reubens just shockingly passed away a few weeks back), rather than it serving as a punch line or some novice playwriting stunt, it becomes not only the crucial pivot point plot-wise, but also stands as a strong example of symbolism that great plays–authored by great playwrights–are known for.

Sean Pollock, who directed the play, also serves as Artistic Director of Unattended, and he has selected a most deserving play to mount. As director, there were some awkward moments regarding blocking and general spacing–there are only so many times we can see the back of an actor’s head without rolling our eyes. Still, the pace was brisk, the set changes handled seamlessly, and the high points of the drama were properly (but not overly) highlighted.

Unlike the characters in Star Trek–where we can just magically appear in a new place in seconds, nor in Batman, where we can be whisked away in our Batmobile–you’d probably have to take the subway or an Uber to get to the theater. But go–the trip will be worth your while. It is rare to get a glimpse of a real talented playwright plying her trade, and without question ‘Cowl Girl’ offers that opportunity, along with the sizzling performance of Ms. Rivas in the title role.