review

milt thomas

The show opens with a man and a women asleep under a blanket at opposite ends of a living room sofa. The woman, Abigail (played by Cynthia Babak), awakens and it is clear she is not related to the man, Angus (played by Tony Campisi). It is also clear that these people are members of the social security generation.

Morning After Grace is billed as taking place in a Florida retirement community, but more importantly, it is a serio-comedy about growing old and dealing with the complexities, joys and sorrow that go along with facing life’s final frontier.

We don’t know much of anything about either Angus or Abigail at first, just as they don’t know anything about each other – at least not before the previous 24 hours. It turns out they both attended a funeral the day before, a potential 60-something’s meet-and-greet. From there the plot evolves like peeling the layers of an artichoke – not an onion – because there are some pointy ends each must overcome on the way to a tasty core.

Just as they begin to misunderstand each other, a knock on the door sends Abigail into hiding behind a kitchen counter as Angus greets a third character named Ollie (played by Keith Lee Grant). Ollie is a neighbor, a former baseball player with the Detroit Tigers who has retired to a life of golf and yoga. He has a sense of joy about him in spite of the pain from a bad hip and a lifelong rejection by his 92-year old father. Abigail finally makes her presence known and it turns out she and Ollie are well-acquainted, but not in the same way she is becoming acquainted with Angus. Unbelievably, there is another Ollie and another woman in this story whose off-stage presence peels more layers from the artichoke. Oh, and did I mention there is also a bong involved?

Yes, it has many funny as well as tender moments, revelations, regrets, self-doubts, and plenty of misunderstandings in life that are best understood by anyone 60 and over, while illuminating to those looking forward to that time of their lives with some apprehension.

As the play moves towards its resolution, we are left with a sense of calm that whatever awaits us in this time of our lives, we can always make room for joy and happiness.

The performances by Cynthia Babak, Tony Campisi and Keith Lee Grant are superb, especially considering it is dialogue rich and they are onstage without a break for this entire show.

Morning After Grace is a real treat and perfect for the intimate vibe of Riverside’s Waxlax Stage. The show runs through February 18^th and I strongly advise you to go see it and bring along any friends or relatives who are members of this generation or close to it. However, its themes may not be entirely suitable for children under the age of 17. Tickets are $65 and can be purchased by calling the Box Office at 772-231-6990 or online at www.riversidetheatre.com.