Good People

By David Lindsay-Abaire
Steppenwolf Theater

Good People is set on Boston's south side. The story begins with Margie, the early middle-aged main character, getting fired from her job at a dollar store because she has been late too many times due to a disabled daughter.

Her prospects are dim for getting a new job and her rent is due, along with her other bills. On a whim, slightly out of desperation, she hears of an old high school boyfriend (now a doctor) and decides to look him up - to see if he can help her find a job. In an absolutely uncomfortable first confrontation, she shows up at his office after calling many times. She overstays, she asks odd questions and then she somehow wiggles her way into an invitation to a birthday party his wife is throwing him on the weekend.

At the last minute, the party is cancelled due to his daughter being ill. Not believing he has cancelled the party, but thinking he has swerved in their game of chicken of whether she will show up at his rich party - she shows up anyway for an even more uncomfortable, prolonged exchange with the doctor and the doctor's wife.

The evening culminates or peaks in an accusation that her disabled daughter is actually his child, something she quickly retracts.

It is later revealed that the child is really his child. However, we are left feeling it took an entire village to elevate one out of the poverty and it would be a trespass on the work they have done to drag him back. It's almost a code, that an entire community kept quiet about what they knew to be true, since he had a chance of getting out.

One person in the audience, after the show, pointed out that the story felt a touch contrived. I think it is a valid point, however I think it works. I think it drives home the point that it takes many to help the one. And, while it might be a little bit far-fetched to think that psychologically Margie would have kept quiet so many years when she so obviously needed help and he may have been in at least a financial situation to help her - it could also be psychologically true that she did not want to mar the chances that he had of making it out of poverty.

I think the point of the play, that success for all people depends on luck was well-delivered. I've long believed that all good things in life - partnership, career and health depend as much on luck as they do on hard work. It was refreshing to basically see a playwright agree with me and articulate it so well.

This is one of my more favorite offerings from Steppenwolf. I just liked the play and nothing in the production got in the way of that. I enjoyed the acting, the delivery, the sets, the production, etc. The bones of the play are strong and I imagine it will be popping up in all sorts of places. I'm grateful I saw it at Steppenwolf, one of the strongest theater companies I know.

As an ensemble theater, we have a familiarity with the actors that you don't always have. Although, if you see enough theater in New York the entire scene does start to feel like one big ensemble theater company. I only mention this because it was refreshing to see Alana Arenas play a very different role from the roles we've seen her play in the past. She has such an unusually paced delivery - it was a pleasure to see it adapted differently here, where it worked.

I don't think I can write about this play without using the word "uncomfortable." Designed and executed to be uncomfortable for the audience, the tension throughout the play is palpable. The pleasure is realizing that all of these characters are tougher than you initially give them credit for and they are all fighters, even if it's buried, and they can take what's coming at them. The problems seem internal to the relationships, but they are actually external and the deepest challenges to each character are only partially what is taking place on stage.

As an audience member this play is a delight. You get sucked in and you feel the emotional ride of the tensions acted out.

I really loved it. And, chances are, this play will eventually play at a theater near you. And, I think it's worth seeing. It's almost an instant classic.