A play about loss by a troupe that knows a bit about it

Just as "To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday" deals with themes of love and loss, ReAct Theatre has struggled with its own sorrow following the recent burglary of props, costumes and set pieces from its South Seattle storage unit.

It was the third burglary since 2003 for The Repertory Actors Theatre, and knowing this adds a touch of resonance to their earnest production of Michael Brady's 1983 play, about a widower clinging to the memory of his dead wife, and the family members who wish he'd let go.

The respect that ReAct engenders — particularly with its philanthropy and dedication to nontraditional casting — lends even more poignancy to its losses. And if these emotions make their way onstage, so much the better.

To those who only remember David E. Kelley's 1996 movie version starring Peter Gallagher, Claire Danes and Kelley's wife, Michelle Pfeiffer, there's good news: Not only is Brady's two-act drama far better than the film (which was "opened up" with unnecessary material), but ReAct's production takes a quiet, calming approach to emotions that are typically writ large with conspicuous manipulation.

Theater review


"To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday," by Michael Brady, runs Fridays-Sundays through April 9, ReAct Theatre at Richard Hugo House, 1634 11th Ave., Seattle; $9-$15 (206-364-3283 or www.reacttheatre.org).

Director/designer David Hsieh neatly sets the stage: the porch and deck of a Nantucket beach house where teacher-turned-recluse David (T.J. Langley) communes with the "living" (and, to us and him, quite visible) spirit of his wife, Gillian (Roberta Furst), an anthropologist who died in a boating accident exactly two years earlier.

This would have been Gillian's 37th birthday. Since David's daughter Rachel (Colleen Parker) is eager to see her father emerge from his perpetual melancholy, she's invited Gillian's sister Esther (Leilani Berinobis) and husband Paul (Matt Lovell) for a visit.

And they're accompanied by Kevin (Kathy Hsieh), an attractive woman ("my parents wanted a boy," she says, explaining her name) intended as a blind date for David. Rachel's friend Cindy (Casey Floresca) is also on hand, offering kind words and moral support.

That most of these actors are Asian American serves to highlight the play's emotional core. Only the males are Caucasian, enhancing David's status as a grieving loner whose prolonged seclusion results in a few errors of etiquette, especially toward Kevin. But she's wise enough to see past David's unintentional rudeness and recognize a pain she can relate to.

Hsieh's direction misses a few of the emotional beats that would give the play more satisfying shape and structure (in this way only, the film is more effective). But there's something gently appealing about the hushed atmosphere he's achieved through minimal lighting and sound. Brady's play is all about nuance, and the cast wisely avoids "all the mushy stuff" (to quote a line ) that would only be distracting.

Jeff Shannon: j.sh@verizon.net