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Review of "The Quality of Life"

Friday, Nov. 14th - Sunday, Nov. 16th performances


by Amy Pawlosky

Nov 22, 2008


Thank you, Amy! :-)



"The Quality of Life" is a study in contrasts between the morals, values and ideals held by Midwesterners Bill & Dinah (portrayed by Culp and Williams) and Northern Californians Jeanette & Neil (Metcalf and Boutsikaris).  The study is framed by separate tragedies that cousins Jeannette and Dinah, and their spouses Bill and Neil, have recently suffered.   It examines the approach that each couple takes in facing changes that death has thrown at them.  Although it sounds like a heavy drama, Anderson and her cast infuse many very humorous moments to keep the audience engaged and give them a chance to dry their eyes between the dramatic, emotionally moving scenes.

It was fascinating watching the interactions of these four stellar actors.  They've each created solid, identifiable and relatable characters that bring their own beliefs and perceptions when they meet up after many years apart.  When Ohioans Bill & Dinah arrive in Northern California at the former home of Jeannette and Neil, where a yurt currently stands after a fire devastates their land, they encounter a world entirely new to them.  This world includes said yurt, compost toilets, outside bathtubs, medicinal marijuana and a grieving ritual that disturbs the coyotes!  Dinah has an easier time accepting this "strange, new world" while Bill decides to sit in the car during the marijuana use and just wants a complete meat-and-potatoes meal at the local restaurant when Jeannette's quiona & seaweed lunch just isn't enough.

The performances of the entire cast were riveting as they all ran the emotional gamut from humor, fear, and anger to detachment.  Steven's character Bill is a newly converted Evangelical Christian who has connected with the church in an effort to find meaning in life after losing his daughter to a violent tragedy.  In the course of the play we find that his marriage with Dinah is also suffering – they become essentially two people inhabiting the same living space.  He leaves her alone to "get over" her crying jags because he is incapable of accessing his emotions.  They are repressed so deeply within him, he is ineffective in supporting Dinah when her emotions surface.

Bill isn't afraid to profess his Christian beliefs and often comes across harsh and judgmental in his thoughts about his liberal cousins.  Due to this, Bill could be perceived as the "villain" of the piece, especially with his efforts to convert his "poor, misguided" relatives.  Steven takes Bill from quiet, repressed sadness through uncomfortable "tolerance" with Neil and Jeannette to an urgent drive to save his relatives (both spiritually and literally).  You can feel that Bill just doesn't want to be there, that he is miserable in his life and just doing anything he can to maintain.  There is one little piece where Bill starts to relax and let go after Jeannette tells him, in no uncertain terms, to just chill, get over it (the marijuana use) and toast with some wine.  Steven did an excellent job of pausing just long enough for us to wonder – is he going to walk away or join the others in a toast and accept the wine.  There is a moment where I didn't know which way Bill would go.  I was so happy to see him raise his glass with "cheers."

Steven had a fabulous, emotionally wrought scene where Bill finally is pushed to dredge up his emotions.  He expresses in a burst of realistic anger and frustration, such ideas that Jeannette and Neil are godless, going to hell, deserving of Neil's cancer and of the fire that destroyed their home and land.  Dinah reminds him, with a hard slap to the face, that his own daughter died at the hands of a brutal killer.  She asks him what their daughter did to deserve such a violent end.  This quiets Bill and he exits with the line that I believe to be the true essence of the play: Life Is Too Precious.  Steven's expression of the anger that Bill is feeling had the whole auditorium silent after Dinah slaps him (except for one show – there was scattered applause after the slap – obviously not sympathetic to his plight).  We realize that he's now gotten to the source of his pain – has accessed his emotions and can, hopefully, move on with the healing process.  This desire is demonstrated in the final Bill/Dinah scene where he, in discussing the planting of an avocado tree, begs forgiveness and another chance with Dinah. 

I'll admit, upfront, that this reviewer was born and raised in the Midwest and so I was a bit concerned about the treatment of Dinah and Bill.  I brought a different perspective to the show than the playwright (a self-described California liberal) and a majority of the audience.  This play is successful in raising up for discussion the issues that, at the moment, appear to divide the United States.  I'd say my fears were groundless – the playwright and actors did great jobs in portraying their characters.  Steven and JoBeth nailed the Christian Midwestern characters.  I personally know at least two people who behave as Bill did in attempting to evangelize and save their friends and co-workers.  That scene felt honest and uncomfortable to me. 

The only thing that bothered me about the entire production was the occasional blocking of Bill in relation to the other characters.  He was often looking backward and slightly over his shoulder to speak with the others.  We missed some of Steven's great facial expressions.  I felt like this positioning weakened Bill's character in relation to the others. I don't know if this was intentional on the director's behalf but I felt like I was missing something by not seeing Bill's face during some of the emotional scenes.  Aside from that, however, I enjoyed the show immensely – it challenges the audience and is an excellent basis for conversation towards understanding of ideals held by both "sides" of the spectrum.

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