By CLAIRE STEVENS
Performed by a cast of only two actors, John Patrick Shanley’s Danny and the Deep Blue Sea delivered an emotional story of human connection, redemption, and self-reckoning. The story follows Roberta (Shannon Donovan), a 31-year-old single mother living with her parents, who meets Danny (Michael Patrick Trimm), a broody, violent truck driver, at a bar in the Bronx. Though unlikely, the two struck up a conversation and revealed their darkest secrets before spending an emotional night together. This 75-minute play, housed in the Rauh Studio Theater of Pittsburgh’s Cathedral of Learning, took the audience on an intense ride exploring grief, trauma, and the idea of looking beyond someone’s past to embrace their present self.
Actress and fight director Shannon Donovan gave an impressive performance as Roberta by skillfully portraying both an outwardly headstrong character and someone struggling with self-acceptance. Her bold flirtatiousness with Danny, combined with the vulnerable confessions she revealed to him throughout the show, effectively conveyed a nuanced character with more depth than initially expected. While Donovan stunned with her emotional performance as Roberta in vulnerable moments, her impulsiveness also added a note of humor to the play. Notably, the moment where she threw a glass of beer over her shoulder had the audience laughing, and her physical attempts to attract Danny’s attention garnered some chuckles as well.
Alongside Donovan, actor and producer Michael Patrick Trimm gave a remarkable performance as Danny. His character’s aggressive nature was believable and well developed through his movements, speech, and solitary tendencies in the opening scene. However, like Donovan, Trimm also acutely explored Danny’s emotional side, from crying in Roberta’s arms at the bar to painfully refusing to accept her later rejection of him. While also taking some humorous approaches to his delivery of early lines about beating people up, Trimm effectively blended the conflicting aspects of his character, creating a Danny whose desire for personal connection eventually transcended his tough outer demeanor.
While the individual actors’ performances were stunning, their chemistry and interaction throughout the show, helped by intimacy coordinator Ricardo Vila-Roger, truly drove the performance. This was fitting, since Danny and the Deep Blue Sea is centered on human connection in the face of imperfection. I was particularly moved by the aforementioned scene of Roberta restraining and comforting Danny on the bar floor as he cried after physically attacking her. The way she embraced and loved him, despite knowing what he was capable of, mirrored how he accepted and loved her, despite knowing the past actions she was ashamed of. Whether it was an intense screaming match or gentle touching in a quiet bedroom, all of their interactions were powerful and passionate, showcasing the hard work that went into creating this immersive performance.
The black box theater space in the basement of the Cathedral of Learning also mirrored the characters’ intimacy. Audience members walked to their seats along the edges of a floor that would unknowingly become the opening setting for the show. Low lighting, music, and the smoke of Roberta’s herbal cigarette filled the air when we settled into the bar atmosphere of the opening scene, waiting to witness these characters change each other’s lives. I enjoyed the actor-driven scene change as well, and their fluid moving of set pieces under blue lighting and sound was reminiscent of the sea. Donovan and Trimm took down the bar setting. They simultaneously pulled the curtains to reveal a bedroom on a single raised platform, further emphasizing that the characters were entering a new, personal space together as the show progressed. The simplistic set,, which was revealed and altered by the actors themselves, contributed to the intimate nature of the performance and allowed us, as the audience, to embrace these personal spaces as the characters grew closer to each other after the transition.
Directed by Pittsburgh-based theatre artist Kelly Trumbull, this performance of Danny and the Deep Blue Sea delivered a powerful story of internal struggle, acceptance, and connection. Danny and Roberta’s story emphasized how we are not defined by our past and highlighted the importance of looking beyond someone’s outward appearance to connect with the human being within.
Read Sharon Eberson’s Review: Don’t Hesitate to Dive Into Searing, Sensual ‘Danny and the Deep Blue Sea’
TICKETS AND DETAILS
Danny and the Deep Blue Sea continues at the Rauh Studio Theater, Cathedral of Learning, Basement, 4200 Fifth Ave., Oakland, July 12 and July 16-19, 2026. Tickets: https://dannyandthedeepbluesea.ludus.com/show_page.php?show_id=200536099
Read Sharon Eberson’s Review: Don’t Hesitate to Dive Into Searing, Sensual ‘Danny and the Deep Blue Sea’
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