Some people have all the luck, and XFilesUniverse.com member ‘Beekiller’ may be one of them.  Even though The Break of Noon has not officially opened,  Beekiller got to attend one of the preview performances.  Written by Neil LaBute and starring David Duchovny, the play tells the story of John Smith, the sole survivor of a terrible office shooting. During the tragedy, John claims to have heard the voice of God and later uses the media coverage to try to spread his new faith which inevitably changes his existing relationships and the world’s perception of him. Beekiller provided XFiles Universe with a review of the play.

The Lucille Lortel Theater in New York City where the play is performed “is very intimate, which allows the audience to really get drawn in to the story and the subtle movements and actions by the characters,” said Beekiller.  In fact, as luck would have it, the theater was intimate enough that she was able to make eye contact with Duchovny during his opening monologue.

Duchovny’s performance was so skillful that Beekiller reports that she forgot that it was really David Duchovny (or Mulder or Hank Moody) on stage and was completely sucked into the world of John Smith.  That is, except for a “phile moment” that happened when there was an X-Files shout-out during the play.  Beekiller said, “(John Smith) gets irritated at his ex-wife and snaps out, ‘Sure. Fine. Whatever.’  I laughed.  Several other people did too, but I think it was just because they found the line independently amusing.”  Of course, X-Files fans would recognize this Mulder quote from Syzygy when he snapped the same words at Scully.

“He (John Smith) was so likeable, but clearly had a past,” Beekiller said.  ”At some points you actually wondered if he was being sincere or if he was capitalizing on being the sole survivor of the shooting, and inventing the religious conversion. Honestly, the way he (Duchovny) played it, I think that both were true at various points in time.  He risked playing a protagonist that was not necessarily a hero, and I always think that’s a ballsy choice, especially for somebody who’s made his living playing the nice guy.”

An actor herself, Beekiller said, “Screen acting and theater acting are simultaneously exactly the same and 100% different; I was afraid I’d be disappointed. But Duchovny’s really done his homework with The Break of Noon. Not only has his work translated beautifully to the stage, but he delivered a fully realized, thought-provoking character to his audience.”

After the show, Beekiller’s luck ran out. She waited for an hour outside the stage door in attempt to meet David Duchovny but never got the opportunity.  Either he had a secret way out or was still discussing the evening’s performance.  Beekiller hopes that there will be a chance to meet him after the show officially opens.

The Break of Noon officially opens on November 22nd and runs through December 12th at New York’s Lucille Lortel Theater.  This is the only venue to see David Duchovny perform as John Smith since he is not expected to perform in the Los Angeles version that begins in January.