Review: VERY LIKE A WHALE at Salt Lake Acting Company is Absurdly Chaotic

The farcical VERY LIKE A WHALE at Salt Lake Acting Company is absurdly chaotic as it finds its footing along the Great Salt Lake’s shores.

Written by Troy Deutsch and directed by Alexandra Harbold, VERY LIKE A WHALE follows the Sharp family after their late father, Bernie’s, funeral. The dysfunctional family prepares to sell Bernie’s lakeside home, but their cleaning and preparations are continually interrupted by eccentric characters, impassioned dance breaks, and, if you can believe it, whales in the Great Salt Lake.

Olivia Custodio’s Megan and Robert Scott Smith’s Greg are polar opposites and create an erratic sibling dynamic that keeps everyone on their toes (figuratively and literally). Custodio is pleasantly unhinged in many moments, particularly once Sarah Shippobotham’s Miss Penelope Dickinson comes knocking. Smith’s Greg, an aspiring dancer, also shines in his most zany moments, especially when reacting to some of the things Custodio’s Megan says to him. Shippobotham adopts an hilariously over-the-top persona that works to rile up the grieving family even more.

M. Scott McLean perhaps gives the most nuanced performance as Megan’s husband, Chester. Blending careful attentiveness and the deescalation techniques necessary to minimize tension among his unhinged family, Smith is able to capture the reserved nature of a character trying to unobtrusively navigate his own grief to make way for others’ more obtrusive reactions. But grief demands to be felt.

Rounding out the Sharp family cast is Devoree Ellis and Mack Barr who play Max, Megan’s daughter, and Sophia, Max’s significant other, respectively. Both hilariously add to the pandemonium as the whales entice them and help them realize (or fantasize about) their own callings in life. Additionally, Yolanda Stange (Old Woman) and Ben Young (Old Man) lend their talents as they perch above the lake house watching and reacting to the family’s dysfunction.

Some moments and exaggerated acting choices don’t land as well as others, which creates a bit of a disconnect in terms of pacing and believability. However, it very well could be the intention – playing up the absurdity and extremes almost ensures that the chaos is continuously felt and keeps the audience off-kilter. This conclusion is likely supported by Erik Reichert’s set design of the listing lake house. No one can really find their balance and even if they try (or believe they have), the unpredictability of life’s waters can muddy the joy and wonder of new horizons. It’s no wonder the whale call is so enticing.

VERY LIKE A WHALE runs through October 25, 2026 at Salt Lake Acting Company. For tickets, call the box office at 801-363-7522 or visit www.saltlakeactingcompany.org.

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