(L-R) Sam Gregory, Dave Kumar, Liv Denevi, Jill Remez, Cecil Jennings and Steve Nevil (Photo by Charlie Mount)
Reviewed by Steven Vargas
Theatre West
Through December 15
A good sitcom can make for a great night in with takeout and a warm blanket, but it’s not made to be enjoyed on stage.
The Goddamn Couple Down the Hall (Oh… and Merry Christmas) at Theatre West presents writer Mark Wilding’s greatest strength: television writing. Wilding — a two-time Emmy nominee for his work on Grey’s Anatomy — is a talented writer. Here, however, the television conventions he implements only do the story and its overall performance a disservice. Asides and antics fall flat without the camera to guide your attention and section off important interactions. With this in mind, The Goddamn Couple Down the Hall (Oh… and Merry Christmas) is a hilarious inspection of a dysfunctional family constantly at each other’s throats (and the neighbor’s). I just wish it had been on screen.
The play, produced by Theatre West and Little Jack Productions, centers on a family coming together for Christmas at eldest daughter Dana’s (Liv Denevi) Pasadena condo where she lives with her fiancé Chad (Cecil Jennings). Guests trickle in with their troubles. Dana’s parents, Jerry (Steve Nevil) and Maureen (Jill Remez), bicker over whether they should cover Dana’s wedding expenses — a whopping $100,000. Dana struggles to keep her cool around her hotheaded, spontaneous and competitive younger sister Sydney (Sam Gregory) who enters the condo with her destructive himbo boyfriend Lance (Dave Kumar). As for the hosting couple, Chad simply wants to cook a nice dinner, while Dana wants to show off her interior design skills with her midcentury modern home. All of this comes crashing down when an unsettling expletive-riddled argument by the neighbors Kenny (Turk Fruell) and Lucinda (Prescilliana Esparolini), raises alarms for a possible murder. As a family, these various personalities must come together to solve the mystery.
In the first half, the characters tend to come off as caricatures. Sydney enters with a heightened anger that doesn’t feel warranted. She even growls in Dana’s face. Meanwhile, the prized fiancé is enamored with his soon-to-be wife and is the goodie-two-shoes of the ensemble. There isn’t much else to their character arcs. This becomes an issue when the sister accuses Chad of having a crush on the neighbor Lucinda. Since most of the time has been spent adding layers to Chad’s obsession with his wife and the family dinner, the comment comes out of left field. He’s a nice guy. Why wouldn’t he be nice to the neighbor? Sydney’s consistently aggressive attitude makes the comment (executed rather loudly during a soft conversation) come off as just another whiny quip with no substance. The only character whose caricature-like personality might be appropriate is Lance, and Kumar does this exceptionally with a monotoned execution and bizarre life stories to match.
Wilding’s use of asides is one of the primary indications that the dialogue is made for television. As tension rises during an argument, a character or two will make an aside that interrupts the flow. There’s a significant pause during these moments. On TV, this issue is easily alleviated by cutting to the character’s aside before jumping back to the argument at hand. On stage, the asides are meant to be short and fast so as to keep the argument going. Currently, every word is given too much time and volume — no matter the importance. As a result, some lines become a distraction.
Under the direction of Charlie Mount, the performers are constantly moving. When Lucinda leaves after visiting for hot cider, the entire family urgently prepares to face off with the accused murderer again. Lance blocks the door with a chair. Jerry runs to the kitchen for a pan. Sydney looks through the shelves for a decoration that could double as a weapon. Meanwhile, Maureen lays out all the scenarios on the table at center stage. The play has plenty of great moments like this that activate the stage and make use of all the details created by set designer Jeff G. Rack. The midcentury modern home (complete with an Eames chair) is nearly flipped upside down without you knowing. It’s fascinating to witness.
As far as performances go, Jennings stands out from the rest. Although his character is primarily one-dimensional, he imbues his lines with a sparkling delivery. He details his performance with smart movement, from a subtle change in his facial expression to his handling of other objects in the room — most memorably his mittens and driving gloves. Even when he isn’t speaking, he adds impressively complex movement.
As we near the play’s climax, the television aesthetics find their footing on stage. The heightened emotions the characters entered the play with finally feel warranted. Sydney’s anger simmers to make room for Chad’s newfound anger toward Lance, and the chemistry between Chad and Lucinda is revealed. The asides start to come in more quickly now that the tension has risen. This is the sweet spot.
The Goddamn Couple Down the Hall (Oh… and Merry Christmas) is an experiment in melding genres and conventions. The result is off-putting in the setup but magnificent in moments of high energy. The show is good, but it would be even better on screen.
Theatre West, 3333 Cahuenga Blvd. West, LA.; Fri.-Sat., 8 pm, Sun., 2 pm; thru Dec. 15. https://theatrewest.org/on-stage/the-goddamn-couple-down-the-hall-oh-and-merry-christmas. Running time: One hour and 40 minutes with a 10-minute intermission.
