Rabbit Hole

Rabbit Hole At the Long Beach Playhouse Studio Theatre Reviewed by Eric Marchese November 26, 2009 In David Lindsay-Abaire's 2006 drama, the concept of "falling down a rabbit hole" is the fervent wish of one character who, like all the characters in "Rabbit Hole," has seen far too much tragedy. What makes this often unexpectedly funny dramedy so potentially deeply moving is how it's cast, performed, and staged. With her terrific, sturdy performers, director Diane Benedict makes it two for three; where she falls down is in her conception not only of how the action unfolds but, even more crucially in this staging, where. Rather than setting the action in a relatively neutral area of the main characters' home, such as the living room, Benedict and set designer Maureen Weiss literally surround us with images of the deceased 4-year-old and his entire bedroom, from tiny bed and toys to rocking horse and giant wooden alphabet blocks. The sentiment and even the intent behind this is laudable but misguided: When Becca (Jenn Robbins) tells husband Howie (Matthew Brannan) that everything she sees reminds her of her son, it's obvious why, when we should be weighing whose version of reality is more on-target: Becca's or Howie's. As perplexing is the presence of a refrigerator in the little boy's room, as well as the question of why the entire family—the young couple, Becca's sister Izzy (Layne Allsup) and mom Nat (Donna Donnelly)—spend nearly every waking moment in the now unused bedroom. The cast nicely engenders the spontaneous feel of family life. Robbins and Brannan superbly capture the subtleties flowing back and forth between the couple, and Allsup and Donnelly offer textured comic relief. Seth Daly's teen, the tragedy's catalyst, seems just barely the worse for wear from the grief he has caused. The quintet's fine work, though, falls down the hole sprung by their director. Presented by and at the Long Beach Playhouse Studio Theatre, 5021 E. Anaheim St., Long Beach. Nov. 13–Dec. 19. Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m. (562) 494-1014. www.lbph.com.
Share on Facebook Post to MySpace!

Save \| E-mail \| Print \| Most Popular\| RSS\| Reprints