In the romantic comedy “2 Across,” now playing at the Invisible Theatre, two strangers meet on a San Francisco BART train. They’re opposites: she’s a pragmatist, he’s a dreamer. She’s Catholic, he’s Jewish. And she does the New York Times crossword in pen, while he does it in pencil and thinks nothing of cribbing her answers. As they share the 85-minute ride from the airport to the end of the line, their struggles with the puzzle become a metaphor for life.
Playwright Jerry Mayer grew up in St. Louis, Mo. After working in the family construction business, he moved to Los Angeles with his wife, Emily, and their three children, to pursue his first love, writing. Before long he was selling scripts to TV shows like “All in the Family,” “M*A*S*H,” “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and “The Bob Newhart Show.” He also wrote for Mitzi Gaynor’s Las Vegas acts and TV specials. His first play, “Almost Perfect,” ran a year and a half at the Santa Monica Playhouse. He has written eight plays including a hit musical, “You Haven’t Changed a Bit, and Other Lies,” written with his son, composer Steve Mayer. Mayer has received Drama-Logue awards for comedy and his plays have been performed throughout the United States, Canada and in many European countries.
The Invisible Theatre’s production of “2 Across” runs through Nov. 28. For ticket information, including group discounts, call 882-9721 or visit www.invisibletheatre.com.
