If you’ve ever loved having your tooth pulled at the Dentist for the respite that nitrous oxide gives you, this is the play for you! Alternatively, if you’ve spent Valentine’s Day by yourself for whatever reason and you find yourself at a deserted subway station in Queens, be sure to stay open to whatever might happen if you “meet cute”. For that is exactly the situation that playwright Matt Morrillo outlines in his short and sweet play now onstage at the McCadden Street Theatre.
In the middle of a morning after a disappointing Valentine’s Day at 3 am, Galen (Shaun Bedgood) and Robbie (Jenni Chiaramonte) find themselves waiting for a subway train that never arrives. Plenty of time to find out why Robbie is trundling around New York with an oxygen tank. Or is it? We find out what it really is, and it becomes the centerpiece of a burgeoning relationship between two strangers on a subway platform. While Galen’s plight is predictable, poor Robbie is dragging around her tank with a deeper emotional wound. Two people who need each other. Perfect for Valentine’s Day, right?
This play is lovingly directed by Katie Oliver, and surrounded by top-notch production values. Everything, from the squacky MTA loud speaker (lighting and sound by Miles Berman), to the mega-effacible posters on the platform walls (graphics by Kiff Scholl of AFK Design) contributes to making this Valentine a real pleasure. And how can I neglect to mention the dance routines by Katie Oliver to music by Jennie Chiaramonte? It’s a “theatre family” affair, and a perfect Valentine’s destination.
Sweet Air continues Fridays and Saturdatys at 8:00 pm, Sundays at 3 pm, through Feburary 15, 2026, at The McCadden Place Theatre, 1157 N. McCadden Place, Hollywood, CA 90038. All Tickets, $25. Ticketing online at http://sweetairplay.com.
