Caroline Aaron and Larisa Oleynik photo by Andrew Pagana
Everyone copes with tragedy, especially the death of a loved one, in different ways. That is the central theme of Bekah Brunstetter’s Be A Good Little Widow, having its Los Angeles Premiere at the NoHo Arts Center. Craig and Melody are newlyweds, just settling in to their new little home in Connecticut where Craig was raised. Craig is a corporate lawyer, doing a lot of travel around the country, preparing for a major merger. Melody is homesick for her parents and her old life in Colorado. She doesn’t have a job and spends her days shopping in thrift stores, listening to her IPod and watching television.
Melody has a prickly relationship with her mother-in-law Hope. They really don’t know each other very well, having only met twice before Craig and Melody’s wedding. During Hope’s first visit to the newlyweds’ home, the tension is palpable. Hope is not a fan of the thrift store furnishings or Melody’s lack of cooking experience and Melody is at a loss as how to bridge the gap. When Craig is killed in a plane crash, the women are forced into each other’s arms. Hope has long been a widow and is even in a support group, The Widows League. Melody is not sure she even has a black dress.
There are a few plot problems. Craig’s body has not been recovered yet he has been declared dead. Hope has had enough time after the crash to plan the funeral, arrange for the catering, make all the necessary calls, etc., yet Melody goes to the crash site after all that has been accomplished and still finds body parts scattered about. The play is only 80 or so minutes yet feels a lot longer because of Sara Botsford’s static direction. Most scenes feature just two characters yet there is little motion; they often just sit or stand awkwardly and say their lines. The playing space is small but not cramped, there is room for more movement.
Hope has two well written scenes and Caroline Aaron nails them both. In the first, with the limo waiting to take her to the church, she finally breaks down and admits the loss of her husband in the past and her son’s now have devastated her. After the funeral service, she and Melody bond over a bowl of Skittles and she teaches the younger woman how to deal with men who might want to dance with her in the future. Donavan Patton gives a winning performance as Craig, kind, understanding, charming. Luckily he appears in flashbacks and in Melody’s fantasies so he is on stage more than you would expect due to his early and untimely demise. Trey McCurley provides some awkward comic relief as Brad, Craig’s assistant at the law firm who has a lustful crush on Melody. The main problem with the production is Larisa Oleynik’s performance as Melody. The character is a 26 year old college graduate who hasn’t chosen her vocation yet, but Oleynik (also a producer) plays her more as a petulant teenager. Since Melody is the center of the play this production suffers from the lack of a strong central performance.
NoHo Arts Center, 11136 Magnolia Blvd. in North Hollywood. Ends May 25. www.beagoodlittlewidow.brownpapertickets.com