Review: Kathryn Grody’s THE EXPECTED 3RD Shines Bright at GSP

“Maybe onward means letting go as well as embracing something new.” by playwright and actress, Kathryn Grody in The Unexpected 3rd

Kathryn Grody graces the stage with style and verve in her one-woman show, The Unexpected Third.  It is now being performed on the George Street Playhouse stage located at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center (NBPAC) through Sunday, November 1. Superbly directed by Timothy Near, this production promises to charm, surprise, touch your heart, make you laugh and be totally entertained. It is an excellent choice to open the Playhouse’s 2026-2027 season.

In her note to the audience, 79-year-old Grody states, “So, this is my offering of how we can still show up, have new adventures, ideas and march to your own particular drum whether you are 40, or 60, or 80.”  Her generous offering includes perceptive, animated accounts of milestone birthdays, marriage, politics, technology, parenthood, grandparenthood, loss and career along with musings about the trials and joys of aging. One of our many favorite lines that she delivers is “However old we are right now is as young as we’re ever going to be.”

The staging is inventive with a colorful setting that also displays plenty of notes and papers Grody has written. The Creative Team has done a top job of bringing The Unexpected 3rd to the New Brunswick stage. The team includes scenic design by Nina Ball; costume design by Naomi Wolff Lachter; lighting design by Cat Tate Starmer; and sound design by Frederick Kennedy.  The Production Stage Manager is Samantha Flint.

A standing ovation for Kathryn Grody for taking us on her life’s journey.  Theatergoers of all ages are fortunate to have the opportunity to enjoy her thoughtful writing and marvelous acting. We applaud Executive Director Edgar Herrera and Artistic Producer, Scott Goldman for making The Unexpected 3rd available to metro area audiences.

George Street Playhouse at New Brunswick Performing Arts Center is located at 9 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ  08901.  It is in the heart of the city’s entertainment and restaurant district easy to reach by mass transit and there is plenty of parking options.  The Unexpected 3rd runs for 90 minutes with no intermission.  Tickets for the show and upcoming productions are available by visiting George Street Playhouse and call 732.246.7717.

Photo Credit: Mark Garvin