By Ali Mushtaq
Pasadena, CA (The Hollywood Times) 11/12/24 – The Goddamned Couple Down the Hall (Oh….And Merry Christmas!) opened at Theater West on November 8, 2024. Written by Mark Wilding and directed by Charlie Mount, the play is a light-hearted and entertaining reprieve from the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.
The story is set in contemporary Pasadena on Christmas loosely based on the experiences of playwright Mark Wilding. The Woodruff clan is gathering at the condo of Dana, an interior decorator, and her fiancé, Chad. They invite their family members, Maureen, Jerry, Sydney, and Sydney’s boyfriend, Lance. The premise of the play focuses on how the family navigates its own dynamic while overhearing the struggles of a couple down the hall, Lucinda and Kenny. When the couples’ fighting ceases, the family grows concerned over the silence. This then pushes the plot into an entertaining direction.
The cast were all entertaining in their unique way, but most importantly, they felt like a real family. John Combs played a lackadaisical police officer. Liv Denevi played the overbearing Dana. Presciliana Esparolini played Lucinda, a bickering housewife. Turk Fruelo played Kenny, Lucinda’s Husband. Sam Gregory played Sydney, a rebellious sister with a heart of gold. Cecil Jennings portrayed an entertaining, milquetoast husband. Steve Nevil portrayed an inquisitive Jerry. Jill Remez plays a comedic boozy mother, Maureen, who dotes on her daughters. Dave Kumar played an excellent happy-go-lucky lothario, Lance.
The actors have chemistry on stage and deliver their lines effectively. They all have appropriate degrees of banter and culminate in multiple punchlines easily understood by the audience. The play builds tension appropriately and parlays its comedic moments within the drama. It was almost as if the comedy came naturally through the tension of family squabbles.
In sum, the play is 90 minutes of laughs and excitement with one intermission. As director Charlie Mount said, “If you’re sick of watching a Christmas Carol, please see this,” and I urge you all to give this play a chance during the holidays!
ADMISSION: $35 in advance, $40 at the door.
RESERVATIONS: (323) 851-4839.
ONLINE TICKETING: http://theatrewest.org
