GOOD PEOPLE—funny and compelling at Cleveland Play House
What happens when you combine a
well-crafted script with an interesting story, a focused director, an excellent
cast, and effective visual effects?
The results is a funny and compelling production, like GOOD PEOPLE, now
on stage at the Cleveland Play House.
GOOD PEOPLE was written by David
Lindsay-Abaire, who received a Pulitzer Prize for the play RABBIT HOLE. He also was awarded the Ed Leban
Award as America’s most promising musical theatre lyricist. Among his creations is SHREK THE
MUSICAL, which will be getting a Cleveland production this summer at Mercury
SummerTheatre. GOOD PEOPLE
received two Tony nominations for its 2011 101 performance run which featured
Frances McDormand, Tate Donovan, and Estelle Parsons.
There are many stories about cell phones
in the theatre, but one of the legends actually took place during the final
night of the GOOD PEOPLE run. An audience
member’s cell phone rang, the phone’s owner shrieked, then answered the
phone. The VILLAGE VOICE reviewer
reported, “McDormand stopped in her tracks, put her arm around co-star Renee
Elise Goldsbery, and deadpanned, ‘Let’s wait.” After the woman finished her call, McDormand made a rewind
gesture and said to Goldberry, ‘OK, ask me the question again’ and they resumed
the scene.”
The comedy centers on Margie Walsh, a
sharp-tongued product of Irish-Catholic South Boston, a working class
neighborhood where most people live from paycheck to paycheck and where a night
on the town is a few rounds of bingo, which might supplement their income. Margie, who has an intellectually
limited adult daughter, loses her minimum wage job at the local dollar store because
of her constant lateness.
Desperate for money, she seeks out her old flame, Mike, now a
successful infertility doctor. Mike is one of the few who escaped the projects and the humdrum
Southie life. She goes to his
office, wrangles an invitation to his birthday party at his palatial house
where she hopes to locate someone who has a job for her. A series of plot twists leads to humor,
pathos, awareness, and a surprise ending.
Under the well honed direction of Laura
Kepley, the CPH production is excellent.
The comic and dramatic timing is on target. The acting of the high quality.
Kate Hodge walks the fine line between
comedy and tragedy with fidelity.
She has the right Southie attitude and sound, never feigning Margaret,
but being Margaret. Denny Dillon
is delightful as Margaret’s landlady and ditzy upstairs neighbor. She has a mobile face, a bird-like
voice and a great touch with exaggerated comedy.
David Andrew Macdonald, effectively
develops the role of Mike, the Southie who went to college and became a “lace
curtain Irishman.” He’s divorced
himself from his background by losing his accent and creating an illusion of
who he was and where he came from.
When he gets angry, the accent returns as does his rough
underbelly.
Elizabeth Rich as Margaret’s long time
friend, is spot on. Patrick
Halley, as the nebbish dollar store manager and Zoey Martinson, as Mike’s wife,
develop clear characterizations.
Mimi Lien’s scenic design, Jessica
Pabst’s costumes, Michael Lincoln’s lighting, all enhance the production.
CAPSULE
JUDGMENT: CPH’s GOOD PEOPLE is one of those special evenings of theatre that
combines a well-written script,
excellent direction, and fine acting into an evening of humor and pathos
to create a must-see production.
GOOD PEOPLE runs through April 14, 2013 at the Allen Theatre. For tickets call 216-241-6000 or go to http://www.clevelandplayhouse.com.
