Review: A GAMBLER'S GUIDE TO DYING Deals a Colossal Winning Payout
A GAMBLER'S GUIDE TO DYING/by Gary McNair/directed by Paul Linke/Ruskin Group Theatre/thru April 29, 2016
Ruskin Group Theatre's Los Angeles premiere of Gary McNair's A GAMBLER'S GUIDE TO DYING winningly delivers a mesmerizing, quick-paced 65-minutes of vividly descriptive storytelling. The combination of McNair's extremely illustrative narrative, directed quite proficiently by Paul Linke, and totally embodied by the charismatic Maury Sterling make for a stellar jackpot of entertainment.
The titular GAMBLER's Archie Campbell, the grandfather of the initially 7-year-old Narrator. Sterling distinctly channels these two characters and an assortment of others via distinctive body gestures and speech patterns. Sterling's Scottish brogue's consistent throughout for all his Scotsmen (save, of course, for his one British professor). This simply brilliant combo of McNair, Linke and Sterling have created a very real, very touching, most loving relationship between Archie and his grandson. Archie fascinates the 7-year-old (through his teen years) with regales of his gambling exploits; in particular, his infamous (but unpopular) winning bet on the 1966 World Cup. Very clever contrasting Archie's love of betting the odds with his grandson's lessons of predestination in school. Archie's gambling addiction seems to be what gives Archie such pleasure and the eventual motivation to live. Seeing the futility of betting on outcomes one cannot control (i.e. football (soccer) matches), Archie makes an all-in bet on his own mortality. His doctors has diagnosed Archie with a terminal cancer and only months to live. With only his teenage grandson in the know, Archie bets all his saved winnings ("I don't spend what I haven't earned.") that he will outlast the doctors' prognosis.
Did I mention Sterling's totally transfixing? He seems to fit McNair's living and breathing characters like a glove.
And praise to Sarah Figoten Wilson for her spare multi-use set with chalkboard wall, a suspended window frame, and a soap box and a wooden chair for McNair/Sterling's characters to utilize.
A GAMBLER'S GUIDE TO DYING's definitely a must-see for aficionados of great theatre!
For a complete evening out of DINNER & SHOW, eat at Spitfire Grill (www.spitfiregrill.net) literally a few minutes away from the Ruskin. Click on DINNER & SHOW to check out BWW's Q&A with Spitfire's Head Chef & General Manager Isaac Reid.
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