Concert Review: Not Even The Good Things Confront Shame
Is she a ghost? Or the mystical embodiment of Billy’s inner turmoil (Sea Mchale)? Joseph Scott Ford’s Not Even The Good Things is 80 minutes of questions that are not, necessarily, answered, which some viewers will love and others will not. In this play, dissatisfaction comes front and center to question whether there is any resolution in life that, actually, relieves you, or is the best thing you can do, to be happy, is accept self-loathing as a natural part of living.
Sea Mchale plays Billy. The sweet pushover of the six friends that decide a weekend getaway to a cabin will be spiritually clarifying and elevating. Of course, for the sake of drama, it is not. Yet, you never can feel whether this is play of a haunting ora mental breakdown. Serena Parrish is fascinating as the quiet, disheveled girl who is hungry and tired but never eats of rests. Her connection with Billy seems to be founded on the fact that he feels that same that she looks and lives. He is a young man that left his religion, questions his sexuality, and ponders who loves and respects him amongst the people he “loves and respects.”
Not Even The Good Things by Joseph Scott Ford
The play goes by quickly, which is good in making you invest more on its dramatic instances. After all, you don’t have time to invest and sift through why Grace (Victoria Janicki) treats Billy with such vitriol or NEEDS to be the center of attention, which makes her have the wittiest and most annoying instances. You do not know why the meek Jackie (Allie Trimm) has severe panic attacks and is dating the CLEAR jerk, Donald (Mickey Roberts). Nor do you know why the ethereally magnetic Gina, played sweetly by Collette Astle, struggled with alcohol and, somehow, ended up dating the wise Terrence (played by scene-stealing Stephon Pettway). All you know, is that Billy feels superbly lost in his life and he does know how to be “found.”
Directed by Kelsey Claire, Not Even The Good Things is really about a night in one man’s shame, and how his friends seems to prompt, move, and bury him in his inner world of painful loathing and doubt. As a character piece, particularly focusing on Bill, the play, again, will enrapture some. Yet, if you like a show that has a clear beginning and end, this is not for you, and that seems to be the purpose. Not Even The Good Things is playing at Theatre Row until July 27 Click Here To Buy Tickets.
