Susan Granger’s review of “Someone Spectacular” (Off-Broadway/Romulus Linney Theatre/Pershing Square Signature Center on 42nd Street)
“To start or not to start: that is the question” confronting the six members of a weekly grief-counseling session when Beth, their therapist, doesn’t show up.
That’s also the beginning of “Someone Spectacular,” the world premiere of a new play by Domenica Feraud, who is obviously a big proponent of group therapy yet curious enough to wonder what might happen if the therapist wasn’t there to maintain boundaries and keep everyone in check.
The six bereaved participants are on-stage when the audience enters the theater, each taking chair from the stack and silently arranging themselves in a circle. They’re obviously waiting for their counselor Beth, who has not yet shown up.
They’ve been meeting once a week for three months, each nurturing his/her chaotic cocoon of grief. Ten minutes passes, then 20.
Julien (Shakur Tolliver), who is lamenting his aunt’s death, suggests they start doing breathing exercises while up-tight Nellie (Alison Cimmet), who is grieving the passing of her ‘good’ sister, proposes they vote for a mediator – a ‘replacement Beth’ – or disperse.
“No one here is qualified to lead a session,” counters Jude (Delia Cunningham), who is mourning a miscarriage. Certainly not bitter Lily (Ana Cruz Kayne), a ‘retired’ 30 year-old actress – prone to panic attacks – traumatized by the belief that she’s killed her beloved cancer-stricken mother who died at age 50.
Not sensitive, kindly Evelyn (Gamze Ceylan), mourning the loss of her elderly mother, nor heartbroken widower Thom (Damian Young), who keeps suggesting that they play “Fuck, Marry, Kill.”
Obviously Beth’s rules – which carefully avoided comparing their levels of suffering – have been abandoned. “I think Beth’s dead,” concludes Lily. So what’s to become of these hapless souls whose pervasive fear of abandonment is realized?
And how many audience members will feel moved enough to write the name of their ‘someone spectacular’ – someone they’ve loved and lost – on scraps of paper on a little corkboard outside the theater?
Disarmingly directed by Tatiana Pandiani, each character in this ensemble has his/her ‘memorable moment’ of survivor’s guilt – and their traumatic 90-minute dialogue exchanges are often peppered with humor.
Credit dots for the realistic set design, Siena Zoe Allen’s costumes, aptly lit by Oona Curley’s fluorescents with appropriate sound design by Mikaal Sulaiman. Visit someonespectacular.com for more information.
“Someone Spectacular” will run through September 7 – Off-Broadway at the Romulus Linney Theatre at the Pershing Square Signature Center on 42nd Street.