Plan C

Hook and Eye Theater’s PLAN C drops you into two timelines at once and then politely refuses to hold your hand while you figure out how they’re supposed to speak to each other.On one side, we’re in 17th century Brussels following Alexandrine von Taxis, a woman running a highly efficient mail system that also happens to double as a quiet little espionage operation. Letters are opened, secrets are decoded, power is negotiated in ink and paper. On the other side, we’re in present-day Appalachia inside a hardware store that is doing a lot more than selling nails and duct tape. Charley is at the center of that world, navigating a network built on trust, risk, and urgency. The show jumps between these two stories using movement, music, and a very committed ensemble that keeps everything in motion whether you’re fully tracking it or not.And here’s the thing. I was warned this would be “interesting,” which is usually theater code for buckle up, and they were not wrong.The show starts strong. The opening movement is sharp and intentional, and you immediately get the sense that this group knows exactly how to use their bodies to tell a story. Leslie Galán Guyton’s choreography gives the piece a pulse right out of the gate. The acting across the board is solid too. No one drops the ball. If there were hiccups, they were invisible, which in a piece this busy is genuinely impressive.But as the evening unfolds, the structure starts to feel like it’s juggling a few too many ideas at once. The two timelines don’t quite lock together in a way that feels fully satisfying. You can sense the thematic bridge—people taking risks, standing up for what they believe in—but the connection feels more implied than earned. Instead of building toward each other, the stories kind of run parallel and wave from across the street.There’s also a lot happening. A lot. Multiple threads, shifting locations, new bits of information constantly being introduced. At a certain point I found myself wanting the show to just pick a lane and dig deeper instead of widening the scope. The Brussels storyline, in particular, felt like it needed a stronger spine to match the urgency of the present-day plot.The choreography, which is such a strong asset early on, starts to creep into “we get it” territory as the night goes on. Not bad, just… more than necessary. There’s a moment in the hardware store sequences where it feels like movement is filling space rather than sharpening it.And then there’s a truly unexpected audience participation moment that lands somewhere between bold choice and “wait, what just happened?” It didn’t derail the show, but it definitely pulled me out of it for a minute.That said, there’s a lot to admire here. The ensemble is fully committed, and that kind of buy-in carries a show like this a long way. Elizabeth London brings a grounded authority to Alexandrine von Taxis, while Vann Dukes gives Charley a steady, human center that keeps the modern storyline anchored. The design elements are thoughtful without overwhelming the space, and Ian Scot Williams’ sound helps glue together a piece that is constantly shifting.PLAN C is ambitious. It’s trying to connect history, present day urgency, and the idea of quiet rebellion across time. Sometimes it lands cleanly, sometimes it gets a little tangled in its own web. But even when it’s messy, it’s never boring.And honestly, in a theater landscape where safe choices are everywhere, I’ll take a show that swings this big any day.MIXED FACES PLUS