Review: GEORGIE D Opens at Chain Theatre

Jessica Durdock Moreno (To Richard!) presented her latest play, GEORGIE D at New York City's Chain Theatre during the Chain One Act Festival (July 24th 2021- August 15th 2021). The story follows a family, a dysfunctional one at that, as the adult children deal with their estranged father's failing health.

We meet the siblings while their father is in the hospital, presumably on life support. Margaret (Cheryl Games) is the youngest sibling who has tried to be there for her father the best she could but getting very little in return. She is a new mom with a wife that is also terminally ill, all while dealing with a recent job loss at a gas station. Thomas (Patrick Grizzard) is the middle child, employed but stingy and always aloof when it comes to the family's affairs. There is also Frances, the oldest and meanest of the three, who we only hear about through Margaret and Thomas, and never makes an appearance on stage.

Throughout the bickering between Margaret and Thomas over things pertaining to their father that include when to "pull the plug" and how to sell the house, we learn more about the relationship between these two, which is just as absent as the one with their father. Here, we see the always hard exterior of Margaret slowly dissolve as she yearns for love from her brother, and the distance Thomas has put between them becomes clear it has to deal more with his own issues of loneliness rather than his affection for his sister.

These revelations were prominent in GEORGIE D, but let's not forget the father. We learn more about him as the story unfolds too, including how those outside the family saw him in a much brighter light than those of his kids. It's a strange thing to learn your father was more present to strangers than to you growing up, making for mixed emotions even if you are grown with children of your own.

The family saga in this play was relatable and heartfelt all the way through. The audience was taken on a rollercoaster ride of emotions, ranging from anger to disgust, to forgiveness and acceptance. It also showed us the true meaning of togetherness and the power of saying, "I love you."

(Photo courtesy of Photo Credit: Michael Abrams)