Friday, February 12, 2016

Common Grace By Shauna Johannesen

What a truly brilliant play!
"I loved everything about it.” She said, “I loved the sets. I loved the women. I could take any of my girlfriends to that play and they’d love it too."
“I liked the upstairs  exit.” I said, “The timing and dialogue were incredible. I loved how Mark transformed as a character. He totally changed"
“Colleen did too.” my friend said. “But I loved the youngest daughter. I loved how they were always cleaning around the sink. It was like we right there in their home."
“I thought Dan was terrific.  Hard to think of it as a Christian play.  More a play about real life and love happening to people who just happen to be Christian.” I said.
“That’s what the playwright said in the interview.   She wanted it to be about faith but not about faith.”
We talked together about the play all the way home.  Three daughters and mother at the wake of their father. Two neighbours, a pastor friend and the untold secret shared.
Director Ron Reed, Actors Shauna Johansen playing Colleen, Sherri Norris as Carol, Rebecca be Boer as Abby, Cara Cunningham as Alana, Julie Lyn Mortensen as Miriam. Robert Gary Haacke as Mark.  Carl Kennedy as Pastor Dan.  What a cast!
Having briefly been the head of a university psychiatric family therapy department, I can honestly say that this play got it right.  I think everyone would relate but it really should be mandatory for all pastors, psychiatrists, family therapists, social workers and psychologists.
I also generally think a car chase or a terrorist attack would improve most shows that might get labelled chick lit but this is truly the exception.

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