Review: MORNING AFTER GRACE at Florida Repertory Theatre

MORNING AFTER GRACE at Florida Repertory Theatre tells the story of retirees Angus and Abigail, who have just hooked up after meeting at a funeral, and Ollie, Angus's next-door neighbor.

The show is full of (literal) highs and lows, and it's a heartbreakingly beautiful story of love, loss, and acceptance. It is a comedy, but it's much more than that, too. Angus, Abigail, and Ollie have to face really hard aspects about themselves and their lives.

The cast includes Martin LaPlatney as Angus, Katrina Ferguson as Abigail, and Marvin Bell as Ollie Ford. All three of these actors are brilliant. I really felt each emotion alongside them, and I was captivated by their performances. As they each face the reality of their lives, you can see the stages they go through to accept their situations. It absolutely is funny, and I enjoyed each joke, but I also really appreciated the more serious moments. There is a moment in the show were Ollie rehearses coming out to his father with Angus, and I felt that this was such an impactful and emotional scene in the production. One of the funniest moments in the show features all 3 of the characters getting hit with the case of the "munchies" after smoking, and then rushing to the kitchen.

This production was directed by Chris Clavelli, with costume design by Charlene Gross, set design by Kimberly V. Powers, lighting design by Rob Siler, and sound design by Adam Trummel. Each part of the show drew you in and made you feel as if you were peeking into Angus's home to watch real people reacting to the events of their lives rather than fictional characters, and the entire creative team did an excellent job in bringing it to life.

I loved the depth this hilarious show had and think that many audience members will relate to it in various ways. I'd absolutely recommend checking out this production while it's running at Florida Rep.

MORNING AFTER GRACE is playing now through January 26 in Florida Rep's Historic Arcade Theatre. For more information and to buy tickets, click here: https://www.floridarep.org/the-season/morning-after-grace/

Photo Credit: Joe Dafeldecker