Terry Morgan – ArtsBeatLA
The world seems to be suffering an empathy shortage lately, or at the very least the lack of that quality in our current leaders. Worse, there is an impression in some parts of society that empathy is simply another word for weakness: they don’t have it, they don’t want it, they don’t believe in its existence and think it’s a scam. In such a setting, the concept of forgiveness seems unlikely if not impossible. And yet, without empathy and forgiveness, humanity cannot survive in any meaningful way. This is one of the themes of Samuel D. Hunter’s excellent play, Grangeville, which is receiving an extraordinary and powerful production by the Ruskin Group Theatre. Read more…
F. Kathleen Foley – Stage Raw
Samuel D. Hunter’s modestly scaled, emotionally devastating play is based on a simple premise, namely, how difficult it is to escape the lingering trauma of an abusive childhood. An actor’s dream, Grangeville, now in its West Coast premiere at the Ruskin Group Theater, provides a tour-de-force opportunity for Cummings and LeBeau. Under the astute, unshowy guidance of veteran director John Perrin Flynn, they turn in two of the most layered and heart-rending performances you are likely to see this season. Read more…