Penned by Mark Wilding and directed by Charlie Mount, THE GODDAMN COUPLE DOWN THE HALL brings the holiday season to Theatre West with a vengeance. The time is Christmas Day this year, and the place is a condo in Pasadena. Talk about dysfunctional families, and you’re probably seeing one of the best examples in the Woodruff clan. They have gathered at the condo of their older daughter Dana (Liv Denevi) and her fiancé Chad (Cecil Jennings) to celebrate the season. The guest list includes Dana’s parents, Jerry (Steve Nevil) and Maureen (Jill Remez), Dana’s younger sister Sydney (Sam Gregory), and Sydney’s boyfriend Lance (Dave Kumar).
Sam Gregory, Dave Kumar, Liv Denevi, Jill Remez, Cecil Jennings, and Steve Nevil – Photo by Charlie Mount
They are all set to have a delightful Christmas (if only they can get over some old feuds) when the goddamn couple down the hall – Lucinda (Prescilliana Esparolini) and Kenny (Turk Fruell) – begin screaming at each other in what seems to be a typical daily occurrence. Their curses and shouts put a damper on the Woodruff festivities – but their subsequent silence is even more suspicious. Does that mean somebody acted on those aggressive threats? Has one of the couple murdered the other? Or did they kiss and make up? Finally. The mystery soon becomes paramount for the Woodruffs, who vow to solve it – with each opinion fueling further internecine conflict and bickering becoming the activity of the day. This is clearly a puzzle which cannot even be resolved by Officer Hoyt (John Combs), who shows up to add confusion to the wobbly facts.
Jill Remez, John Combs, and Liv Denevi – Photo by Charlie Mount
Typical of many comic situations, cast members are drawn in broad terms and tend to be one-dimensional – each representing only one piece of the puzzle and willing to fight to the death to be right. Director Mount has chosen to present the comic as farcical fun. He keeps the action moving – so fast, in fact, that it’s pretty near impossible to pin down motivations and develop more than a superficial understanding of the Woodruffs. There are lots of one-liners, some of which are very funny and others which may impede the forward movement of the story. In short, there are lots of sitcom features to this stage play, perhaps to be expected from the television award-winning author.
Jill Remez, Liv Denevi, Dave Kumar, and Sam Gregory – Photo by Charlie Mount
The actors do a yeoman’s job of injecting energy, activity, and motion into their roles. Expect laughs and lots of ridiculous and hilarious situations piled one atop the other. Kudos to Jeff G. Rack’s set design, which is festive, homey, and perfect for the show. THE GODDAMN COUPLE DOWN THE HALL is light, airy, and close to perfect for entertaining holiday fare. Besides that, it’s a lot funnier than some of the other holiday shows which are resurrected each December. THE GODDAMN COUPLE DOWN THE HALL runs through December 15, 2024, with performances at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and at 2 p.m. on Sundays. Theatre West is located at 3333 Cahuenga Blvd. West, Los Angeles, CA 90068. Tickets are $35 in advance and $40 at the door. For information and reservations, call 323-851-4839 or go online.
Splash Magazines
Be the first to comment