Picture it: Sicily, 2122. Or 2222. Or 3022. It’s an undetermined future year, and civilization is clawing back from an apocalypse that decimated the population. Life seems almost normal here on the beautiful Sicilian coastline. Old Italian pop standards waft over the sound of waves. Two girls wat ch a grainy old cathode ray TV set as they munch a bowl of cherry tomatoes, only half-listening to the broadcast warnings about a band of unauthorized women on the loose.  That’s when a desperate young woman bursts through the protective plastic sheeting around their terrace, looking like she’s escaped a war zone, because she has. Her name is Lydia, and she’s looking for shelter for her 49 sisters as they flee a forced mass wedding to their cousins. So begins NOVA Nightsky Theater’s production of Big Love: familiar and uncanny, cozy and unsettling all at once. The cast of ‘Big Love.’ Photo by Jeff Fitzgerald. Originally staged in 2000, the play was Charles L. Mee’s adaptation of Aeschylus’s ancient Greek drama The Suppliant Maidens. Uncommon among contemporary playwrights, Mee encourages theater companies to adapt the material as they will to fit their needs and visions. This version, Jaclyn Robertson’s adaptation of an adaptation, moves the action to a post-apocalyptic setting, which both ups the stakes and bridges the gap between ancient and modern cultural norms. It’s everything we love about Ancient Greek drama — all the explosive catharsis — with the introspective depth of a contemporary piece. Both then and now, when resources are scarce and the future is uncertain, people may make choices that feel unfathomable to us now. And boy, do they ever in this play.  This production takes place in an intimate 35-seat theater in the basement of Falls Church Presbyterian Church, which feels just right for the homey setting. Although the stage is small, it is not spare or minimalist but a fully lived-in family terrace. There’s a burbling water cooler, actual fresh produce prepared and eaten, a working television, and strands of wisteria and fairy lights draped from the ceiling. Scenic design by Jaclyn Robertson and Adam Ressa and props by Joey Pierce are executed with the attention to detail of a film set while also repurposing and reusing materials, an eco-friendly move well-suited to the setting. Robertson and Ressa’s sound design creates a realistic seaside ambiance without becoming distracting. You can practically taste the salt air.  This peaceful place seems like the perfect safe haven for the young refugees. Understandably, though, family patriarch Beppe and his pragmatic son Piero seem hesitant to take the women in. Harboring them could put their family at risk. And indeed, the 50 grooms arrive hot on their heels, relentless in their pursuit of the runaway brides. As the fateful wedding day approaches, things begin to spiral out of control, and these three very different families question their deepest-held beliefs on love, marriage, family, gender roles, and free will.  It certainly is a cast of colorful characters holed up in this house, and although Big Love is full of appropriately big personalities, the performances are almost always well-calibrated to the small space. The crisply-staged production, directed by Robertson and Ressa, moves with a natural current of urgency.  TOP: Keely Sullivan den Bergh as Lydia, Maggie Shircliff as Olympia, and Melanie Gordon as Thyona; ABOVE: The cast, in ‘Big Love.’ Photos by Jaclyn Robertson. As you might expect, you don’t get to meet all 50 brides for 50 brothers. Three of each will do. Lydia (a fully embodied performance by Keely Sullivan den Bergh) serves as a mediator for her diametrically opposed sisters, Olympia (Maggie Shircliff) and Thyona (Melanie Gordon). Olympia thinks marriage and men aren’t so bad. She just doesn’t like the total lack of romance in this whole forced marriage business. Thyona, on the other hand, would rather die — or kill — than submit to any man. The sisters’ bond is strong and all three performers play off one another well. Gordon is particularly magnetic to watch — sharp, tightly coiled, and occasionally explosive.  The men move through the play like a pack of hyenas, all hunger and animal instinct. Their vicious leader, Constantine (compellingly portrayed by Nate Eagle) is just as haunted as Thyona, but far less sympathetic. Eagle’s quietly ominous body language and feral glint in his eyes will set off your fight-or-flight instincts. Little brother Oed (James Storen) follows him without question, all brawn and no brains. But though middle brother Nikos (a dynamic Zach Litwiller) hesitates to speak his mind, he’s made of more sensitive stuff. Still, he can’t help but hope that all this ugliness could lead to something beautiful with Lydia.  The skittish courtship between Lydia and Nikos feels achingly real. In a clever directing choice, Litwiller takes a lower seat beside Sullivan den Bergh, helping two characters of different heights literally see eye-to-eye. The most scene-stealing moments of the play, however, belong to Beppe (a wonderful Chuck O’Toole). He shuffles around at his own meandering pace, dispensing wisdom both funny and profound in a melodious Italian accent. He also makes the most memorable use of fresh tomatoes in an acting performance since Denethor in The Return of the King. Tristan Poje gives a grounded performance as eldest son and decision-maker Piero, and Mackenzie Gaylord is charming as youngest granddaughter Emilia. Her elder sister, the bohemian Giuliana (Pilar Bruyere), delivers a thoughtful monologue on lost opportunities that sends a hush over the crowd. It’s quiet moments like these that make NOVA Nightsky’s production so impactful. It feels like sharing a heart-to-heart with new friends.  Speaking of friends, free-spirited couple Eleanor and Leo show up for the party, totally oblivious to the fact that the brides are in anything but a celebratory mood. Warmly characterized by Suzie Carmack and Mickey Butler, the two make a great pair, and Carmack gets an astonishing display of physical comedy in the second half. Costume design by Callie Stapleton and hair and makeup by Kinsey Robertson help bring this cast to life. The brides and grooms come dressed in black and military green, eyes shrouded in dark war paint. There’s nothing soft or romantic about their tactical attire. The men’s haircuts walk the line between “soldier” and “punk rock,” and Thyona wields her long braid like a whip. The Sicilians, however, dress in flowing Bohemian garb and cheery colors. Eleanor’s rainbow butterfly caftan is a particularly delightful choice. Excellent fight choreography by Casey Kaleba and intimacy choreography by Jessie Holder Tourtellote carry the play to an unforgettable climax. Wait until you see what happens during a tipsy karaoke rendition of “That’s Amore.”  You’ll feel a confusion of every emotion at the end of this chaotic, heartbreaking, beautiful experience — but isn’t that what love is? Running Time: Two hours, including a 10-minute intermission. Big Love plays through June 27, 2026 (Thursday and Friday at 7:30 pm, Saturday at 2 pm, and Sunday at 7:00 pm), presented by NOVA Nightsky Theater Company, performing at Falls Church Presbyterian Church, 225 E Broad St, Falls Church, VA. Tickets ($28) are available online, plus a special Pay-What-You-Can performance on Thursday, June 18. The playbill is online here. Big LoveBy Charles L. MeeAdapted by Jaclyn RobertsonDirected by Jaclyn Robertson and Adam Ressa ...read more read less