Spirit Control *

Since I enjoyed Beau Willimon's political campaign drama Farragut North two years ago at the Atlantic, I was looking forward to his latest play, Spirit Control, now in previews at Manhattan Theatre Club. In it, Jeremy Sisto plays an air traffic controller who must guide a frightened passenger to land a small plane whose pilot has suffered a heart attack. This incident makes for a tension-filled 15 minutes at the play's beginning. The balance of the play depicts the immediate and long-term consequences of this event. The surrealistic direction it takes does not make much sense and, for me at least, the play ends up chasing its tail. Not recommended.