Dealing with a death of a loved one is probably one of the hardest situations to deal with, especially if it’s your child. Imagine the pain that an individual would have to endure. Goodman Theatre told this story in David Lindsay-Abraire “Rabbit Hole.” He tells the story of a couple’s process of moving forward and recovering from the tragic accident of their infant son in the emotion-provoking play. While trying to cope with this situation, they deal with the distance in a partnership, blame, hurt, powerful emotion, and difficulty in their interpersonal relationships with others.
Goodman Theatre’s Associate Producer, Steve Scott, created an ensemble of Chicago residents to act out this heart-wrenching play. The ultra-talented cast included Daniel Cantor (Hower), Amy Warren (Izzy), Lia Mortenson (Becca), Mary Ann Thebus (Nat), and Jurgen Hooper (Jason). Becca was the mother who lost her four-year-old son after he decides to run into the street to catch their dog. Howie was the hard-working father of the child who wanted so badly to connect with his wife, after the incident. Izzy was the irresponsible sister who never grew up. Nat was the outspoken mother of Becca who lost her son to excessive heroin use. Jason was the teen who was behind the wheel when her son was in the street.
A woman by the name of Becca had issues dealing with the death of her son. She tried hard to erase her son’s presence in her memories. She tried to give his clothes up to good-will; she erased the tape, the home video with her deceased son on it, and sell the house. She was not completely aware of what she was doing, so her husband brought it to her attention. He suggested going back to the support group or therapy, because he felt that he was not as close to her. All of what happened in the play was so real.
The beginning of the play seemed more like a sitcom, which was a smart move on the playwright’s part. Lindsay-Abraire basically slowly pushed the play in the direction of the issue at hand.
It must have been difficult for the actors to perform the play without depressing the audience. No one wants to visit a play that makes him or her cry and feel sorry for the characters. Lindsay-Abraire coupled humor with emotion. If the play did not have any humor, most of the audience would have been crying.
It is surprising how powerful of an effect this play had on the audience. Izzy, the irresponsible sister, was sure to put a smile on the faces of the audience. The mother, Nat, was witty and acted so much like everyone’s grandmother. She made the play hilarious.
The teenager who killed Becca’s child, tried so hard to apologize for his wrongdoings. He even wrote a letter apologizing and wrote a short story in dedication to the child. He asked Becca permission to dedicate a short story called “Rabbit Hole” which inspired the title of the play. “Rabbit Hole” was a story of a little boy who lost his father. Desperate to get his father back, he searches for him by digging through a rabbit hole.
The actors voice and diction were amazing. Their emotion seemed so real. The lighting brought out the colors in the furniture of the child’s room. The set looked like a television sitcom.
The play was so edgy and contemporary. The play teaches us how hard it is dealing with death. People do not just get over it and move on. Becca and her husband, Howie, dealt with all the physiological components of the grieving process. “Rabbit Hole” taught us that anyone could recover from the death of a loved one if they are willing to hang on to memories, while letting the situation make them stronger.