Sofonyas, Will Ingram, and Anastasia Locke Photo by Jacob Ruth

Alas, I could have used more distraction, because the best efforts of director Peter Charney, assistant director Talya Braverman, and the earnest cast could not cover up the fact that The Vessel is something of a word salad and a lengthy one at that. There are some wonderful exchanges of dialogue and moments where the audience laughs and connects with the characters, but overall, it left me rather dissatisfied.

This is unfortunate because the performers make every effort to keep the audience engaged. They fully invest in the conversations and revelations of their characters, who must face up to the possibility of visitors attempting suicide. On top of that, these employees must also fight against their own unhealthy attraction to The Vessel's unnerving 150-foot drop.

Drake is a likable, no-nonsense man who feels deeply responsible for any possible disaster and, as an actor, Sofonyas admirably gives Drake surprising depth.
As the person who has actually seen someone leap off the Vessel, Missy–under Anastasia Locke's skillful presentation–is someone who cannot initially cope with talking about the real purpose of her job, or anything else unpleasant for that matter.
The newbie to this team is Will Ingram's enthusiastic and somewhat misfit Viggo. His need to belong, while not putting down roots, is both annoying and amusing, though, considering his rather messed-up boundaries, I wondered how any worker could get as far as Viggo eventually does.

In spite of these excellent performers and all the effort expended, I sadly felt that The Vessel just did not contain very much.