BWW Reviews: World Premiere Comedy A GOOD GRIEF Shares the Journey From Sorrow to Acceptance

Fierce Backbone presents a world premiere comedy A GOOD GRIEF written by Leslie Hardy, directed by Jeffrey Wylie, at The Lounge Theatre through December 1. It's another night in Grief Counseling in Room 103, and four strangers are struggling with their own steps in the grieving process. All four are on a major collision course with each other's issues in this dark comedy, whether they like it or not.

The cast features Rachel Boller (Ruth), Mandy Dunlap (Brenda), Paul Messinger (Ray), and Gary Rubenstein (Stanley). Each actor presents a full-developed character, each of whom will be familiar to the audience in the ways they deal with loss and sorrow.

The action takes place in a small classroom under the strong florescent lighting that does no one any good. The audience surrounds the set on three sides, putting everyone in the midst of the action. We first meet Stan and Ray, two very different types of men, who are waiting for the rest of the group, as well as the group counselor, to show up.

Stan (Gary Rubenstein) is the Woody Allen nebbish mama's boy who has been in various group therapy sessions since his mother passed away a year ago. He shares how he struggled to decide what dress to busy her in as well as the fact he never married as no girl was ever as good as his mother. He brings in cookies to share, his mother's favorite of course. When confronted by the others in the group, he denies he has a problem but just enjoys having people to talk to so he won't feel so alone. "But I'm getting better. I'm down to just two sessions a week now."

Ray (Paul Messinger) is a good ole boy machinist who loves his wife, bragging how good she is in the kitchen and bedroom. Food and sex are his biggest motivators, and his old-fashioned view of a woman's place does not sit well with the women in the group. When they finally come to blows, Ray turns into the negotiator, trying to work out a bargaining agreement to keep the group together so they will all get credit for attending. But what really has brought him to group therapy is not the death of his father but the fact his beloved wife has left him due to his behavior.

Rachel Boller walks in as well-dressed, all business Ruth who immediately sits down, pulls out her laptop and begins to work on financial reports since the group counselor is not there yet. Turns out she has been sent by her employer to Grief Counseling after the sudden death of both her parents in a car accident two months ago. She shares about having to make the decision to take them off life support, and learn of her love-hate relationship with her sister. Boller gives us a Ruth who is anger personified, throwing temper tantrums which threaten her high profile accounting position with a manufacturing company as well as the therapy group itself. She is not the type of person to put her life on hold for anyone, something that does not sit well with others in the group who have done just that for their loved ones.

The last person to join the group is Brenda (Mandy Dunlap), a married woman with three kids whose mismatched socks, one light blue and the other gray, as well as her non-descript clothing, reflect that her life does not focus on her needs but on her family. She shares how she sat at her father's side during his long battle with cancer even though he never supported her in her life choices. Her overwhelming depression stems from a decision she made as he was dying that she still regrets, which has brought her to group therapy. In the middle of sharing, her cell phone rings repeatedly which she chooses to answer with texts even as she keeps sharing until Stan finally takes it from her, causing Brenda to finally focus on what others are saying and becoming the voice of reason.

These are four damaged people who somehow reach out to each other on their own when the counselor does not show up, and each makes a difference in the lives of all the others. The pacing was sharp as was the directing, with each actor constantly bringing more and more of their personality into the mix via words as well as actions, right down to the way each sits in their chair from time to time as their sharing intensifies.

Fierce Backbone takes pride in creating a safe environment for directors to experiment with different approaches on unfamiliar material and they have a winner with A GOOD GRIEF. Don't let the title keep you away. For though the play is definitely about sorrow and loss, there is also a lot of universal humor in the sticky relationships we weave with our families. And theater was created to cleanse the soul with tears and laughter.

Fierce Backbone presents World Premiere A GOOD GRIEF, Written by Leslie Hardy, Directed by Jeffrey Wylie
Runs: October 27 - December 1, 2013 (Dark Nov. 29th)
Plays: Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 3pm
Where: The Lounge Theatre at 6201 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles 90036
Tickets: All other shows - $20
Buy Tickets/Info: www.plays411.com/grief or (323) 960-7784
More Info: www.fiercebackbone.com and www.facebook.com/AGoodGrief
Running Time: 70 minutes (no intermission)
Parking: Free street parking in neighborhood (please allow 15-20 mins. to park; please read signage)

Photo Credit Steven A. Heller

Rachel Boller, Gary Rubenstein, Paul Messinger

Paul Messinger, Rachel Boller, Gary Rubenstein, Mandy Dunlap

Rachel Boller, Paul Messinger, Mandy Dunlap

Gary Rubenstein, Paul Messinger

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