Piece of Mind
Write Act Repertory
Reviewed by Taylor Kass
Through Jan. 29
In the immortal words of The White Lotus’ Tanya McQuoid, “…death is the last immersive experience I haven’t tried.” But what if you could try it, just for an hour and for a small fee? In Write Act Repertory’s world premiere of Emma Wood’s Piece of Mind, two friends decide to open up a one-of-a-kind business where couples can role-play each others’ deaths. Gwen (Carla Valentine) and Allie (April Martucci) hope that couples will unearth new truths about their relationships as they take turns eulogizing each other and playing dead in a coffin, but life and death is never that easy. However, this production directed by Susan C. Hunter obscures its unique concept with over-the-top comedic choices that don’t quite hit their mark.
Gwen and Allie are a thoroughly modern version of Lucy and Ethel, looking for a get-rich-quick concept to finally quit their grueling day jobs as nurses. So they rent a coffin, employ Allie’s Gen-Z daughter Tess (Dani Mohrach) to run their social media, and seek financial backing from Gwen’s frosty aunt Rowena (Roxie Lee). But even with such a zany cast of characters, the pacing and comedy tends to fall flat. Pauses and overlaps in dialogue muddy jokes in the text while blustery staging and gestures feel somewhat imprecise.
Sadly, Piece of Mind’s most interesting idea –that couples can find catharsis and speak the unspoken when faced with even imaginary death– is glossed over far too quickly. There is a wealth of hilarious nuances to mine in relationships that are so twisted that they require playing dead, but the scenes in which couples put Gwen and Allie’s business to the test are cut short in favor of drawn-out exposition. In a comedy, there is perhaps an even greater need for authentic connections to anchor the jokes, but the characters lack the substance that would drive their wacky behavior. Even as a play centered around the tragedy and comedy of death, Piece of Mind needs a bit more life.
Write Act Rep at The Brickhouse Theatre, 10950 Peach Grove St., North Hollywood; Sat. 7 pm.; Sun. 3 pm.; through Jan. 29. https://pieceofmind.bpt.me or 800-838-30060. Running time: 2 hours with one 10-minute intermission.
