culture@dailylobo.com
I gave “Good People” a standing ovation without hesitation. Everything else is secondary.
There are many plays in Albuquerque that are absolutely exceptional for one reason or another: fine acting, clever scripts, creative technics. All these achievements are worthy of praise and notice. But there are occasionally perfect storms of performance where the truly special are allowed to shine in the sincerest splendor.
Is Vortex’s production of “Good People” perfect? Not even close. But it doesn’t matter. I don’t always stand at the end, even for the “perfect” ones.
“Good People” concerns itself with the abject poverty of South Boston and the ‘Southie’ accent well-known everywhere, thanks to movies such as “Good Will Hunting” or “The Departed.”
There are details of a contemporary time, such as mentions of Iraq and a modern minimum wage. But really, the story is so timeless, it’s universal: Pick an era of economic turmoil and you’re there.
The personalities of the characters also possess universality. The good-natured derision and joshing repartee immediately remind audiences of the local and familiar raillery of “cholas.”
The play could have very well just been named “Banter” as opposed to “Good People.”
This is probably one of the most surreal plays to be shown at the Vortex in any stretch of memory, and it’s not entirely clear if it’s intentional.
The set is nonexistent, mostly just furniture and fat, ugly curtains. And you know what? You shouldn’t care.
The scene changes are performed by a set of sardonic sanitation workers, who jeer and jibe at each other like dueling insult comics in the form of loosely structured improv. It’s certainly not in the script. The invasion is rather bizarre and frankly genius.
Dealing with long, painful set changes is one of the weighty tasks of any piece of theater that stubbornly does not take place in a single location. Here, they don’t even try to hide it. Lena Baxley and Phil Shortell seem to take their time, scoffing one joke at each other after another. The clearing of the set seems to be secondary.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
It is bizarre and totally beautiful.
Right out the gate, the first scene is so baffling in lack of focus or sensible blocking; it seems mostly like it was never rehearsed. There is no sense of place and the actors move at random, taking part in a strange game of musical chairs.
Luckily, this disconnect is never seen again. Each scene snaps with lively gossip and natural speech. There is significant and specific attention given to the lines in every scene, from the chitchat of the hens to the thick, socially awkward conversation of former lovers.
And damn, it’s good. The exchanges pop with humor and create characters that are immediately loved and understood.
Structurally, the play is fascinating. The first act is split into scenes of fairly equal length, all leading — though unexpectedly — to the second act. Though it does not feel long or excessive, it is essentially composed of a single mighty scene.
Between the naturalism of the speech and the incongruence of the narrative, the play achieves what so many other similar works attempt to do and mostly fail: It actually feels like real life. Director Janet Davidson has created something magnificent without being flashy.
Debrianna Mansini shoulders the protagonist, Margie, with enjoyable ease. When given too much room, she danced frenetically about the stage and pointed weirdly at things with a politician thumb or finger-gun. When she had something to occupy her hands, her body language and nervous tics and laughs were glorious to behold.
Margie’s best bud, Jean, is played by Lorri Layle Oliver, an actor of incredible comfort and skill. There is serenity to her control and ability as a performer which is simply staggering.
Jean Moran plays a delightfully nasty old biddy, Dottie. Stephen Weir plays Stevie in a small but effective role. Weir emotes well and his South Boston accent is strong, though he does not seem aware of his movement.
Vernon Poitras has a difficult role as somewhat unsympathetic former-Southie-turned-doctor Mike Dillon, but his performance is believable. Alisia Downing plays his wife, Kate Dillon, a pivotal role for the play thematically and one which Downing portrays magnificently.
There is a quiet moment of considerable importance near the play’s end but its realism is a bit dubious. The jabbering hens, Margie included, completely lack any brain-to-mouth filter, so a secret of such significance not being constantly discussed doesn’t entirely ring true.
But who cares? You’re going to want to stand up when you applaud. And what’s better than that?
*Good People*
By David Lindsay-Abaire
Directed by Janet Davidson
The Vortex Theatre
2004½ Central Ave. S.E.
Friday and Saturday
at 7:30 p.m. Sunday at 2 p.m.
Runs through Sunday
$18 general
$12 for students with ID
Visit vortexabq.org
or call 505-247-8600 to make reservations.
