Natalie Hayslett and R. Graham Rogers Photo by Claudia Herschner

Falcon's production is bare bones on its intimate stage, with no set, just a blank wall and a rectangle of carpet. The cast is two actors: Natalie Hayslett as Bernadette and R. Graham Rogers as Oliver. It's about as minimal as possible, and that's fitting, since the premise of this unusual piece of theatre is about limiting language and communication. An imagined piece of legislation, a "Quietude Bill," has passed out of Parliament, limiting citizens to no more that 140 words daily. (I've already exceeded 150 words in this review, for a sense of how constricting this really is.)

Bernadette and Oliver are contemplating how to navigate this newly narrowed existence as they begin a relationship. They're very different: She's training to be a defense attorney in family law; he's a striving musician and budding activist. They meet accidentally at a pet cemetery where she has come to visit her cat's grave. Her inclination is to accept the status quo, while he is moved to protest what's being colloquially called the "Hush Law." They're an unlikely pair, and their differences are complicated by the edict, since under other circumstances they might find common ground requires conversation. The new law is not detailed as to how it works or is enforced. As an attorney, Bernadette is inclined to self-impose the restriction; wearing a black Sex Pistols t-shirt with a redacted image of the Queen, Oliver chafes, protests, and seeks to push the boundaries.

Steiner's storytelling is complicated. His nonlinear 90-minute piece is broken into dozens of scenes, some as brief as 30 seconds. A swishing sound and a change in lighting signals different moments. The story is not told chronologically: some scenes reflect the couple's early anxieties as they brainstorm ways to navigate the stricture of words; others are set in their lives after the law goes into effect when the pair struggles to work out the wrinkles in their relationship. Close attention is required to grasp the order of events. Occasionally, conflicts and arguments are repeated or extended with different outcomes. In some brief scenes, they simply speak a number, indicating how many words they have left on that particular day.

Along the way, Bernadette and Oliver seek ways to get around the narrow word count: Morse code, abbreviations and contractions, even staring into one another's eyes. Scenes shift from humor to frustration, from playful romance to stubborn indignation, from genuine revelation to avoidance. The play's unusual, repetitive title is a stratagem Bernadette uses in one scene to exhaust her word count and cut short a difficult conversation. It might also be a subtle reminder about turning lemons into lemonade when things don't go as planned.

The script is a demanding one for the actors, who are onstage nonstop for 90 intense minutes. They are called upon to switch emotions and behaviors on a moment's notice, and director Liz Carman has them reset their positions, postures, and locations with each scene change. They do this without props or scenery; it's all on them to distinguish where they are physically and in their evolving relationship. In one amusing scene, they are in a car. She mimes driving while they talk loudly, shouting over one another. It's a moment that reveals the force of their personalities and their unwillingness to listen.

Hayslett plays buttoned-down Bernadette with flashes of anger as she tries to determine whether Oliver is honest about a past failed relationship. He strives to obfuscate, relying on the paucity of words available for cover, but we and she do eventually get some unhappy clarity. As Oliver, Rogers's impetuous, often flippant arrogance is a mask hiding a desire for deeper communication. It does seem at the end that the pair have might be headed in the right direction.

Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons is characterized as a romantic comedy. In truth, this script digs more deeply than that genre might imply, as it explores the barriers and shortcomings that impede paths to understanding. It's an intriguing play that makes demands on an audience that some people might not be willing (or able) to appreciate. Thanks to two fine actors and Carman's sharp direction, it's a fascinating piece of theatre.

Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons runs through November 22, 2025, at Falcon Theatre, 636 Monmouth Street, Newport KY. For tickets and information, please visit falcontheater.net or call 513-479-6783.