Center Stage With…
Lady Beverly Cohn
Entertainment Editor
Family conflict was one of the central themes of ancient Greek drama, illustrating parent-child relationships or sibling rivalry in such defining masters as Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex and Antigone, Euripides’ Electra and The Trojan Women, or Aeschyllus’ The Oresteia, considered to be one of the greatest family sagas in literature. The basic plots of tragedy and comedy are clearly in play today. (Ok. I won’t get into the impact of AI.) That brings me to the most riveting Grangeville, written by multi-award winning playwright Samuel D. Hunter and put in the hands of the highly-skilled, often feted director John Perrin Flynn, coalescing into a spellbinding, highly professional evening of theatre.
On rise, we see two men, who turn out to be estranged half-brothers living in different parts of the world – Jerry, the older brother, brilliantly played by Jeff LeBeau, lives in a blue-collar, run-down trailer park in Grangeville, Idaho caretaking his sick, dying mother. His younger brother Arnie, also brilliantly characterized by Tim Cummings, tried to escape the unhappiness of his childhood by moving to Amsterdam prior to which he enjoyed success as an artist who created beautiful dioramas of local spots in Grangeville. He no longer wanted to do that kind of art and turned to the abstract form which did not garner critical acclaim, leaving him struggling to find his new artistic voice. He is married to his husband Bram, also well characterized by Jeff LeBeau, without a single trace of his other role as Jerry. Bram, has a good job at a museum in Rotterdam and despite Arnold’s pleadings that they return to Amsterdam, is committed to staying put. Arnold’s unhappiness and unresolved childhood scars eventually destroys their marriage and he is left to fend life on his own.
Facing the audience, the two actors stand side by side and are communicating with each other via video or later by phone sans that equipment, but their brilliant performances never makes us doubt for a moment that they are oceans apart. At first, the conversation is strained as Arnie doesn’t welcome a call from his brother who has been living with their near-death mother in a run-down trailer park and is faced with big medical bills and what to do with their mother’s “estate.” Arnie tries to end the conversation quickly and tells his brother to send him the bills and he would take care of them. But, as their strained communication continues, we learn that the issues are deeper than the bills or their mother’s impending demise. At play also is Jerry’s guilt over being very abusive to his younger brother, who, although he fled to the Netherlands, took all the childhood wounds with him and really doesn’t enjoy peace of mind. In some programs, it’s called “taking a geographic” which means whatever unresolved issues you have, you take them with you to the next location and they still continue to haunt your psyche. This is clearly evident with Arnie who is seriously troubled and as unhappy as ever. Like his younger brother, Jerry has also been going through marriage difficulties as well with his wife who has left him. At one point he contemplated suicide but eventually passed on that idea. So, it appears that the two brothers are at a mutual psychological crossroad with the older one seeking a way to forgive himself, through therapy, for his cruel actions towards his younger brother. Arnie, on the other hand, continues his struggles without any new approach to stilling his demons. I might add that the definition of insanity is doing the same act over and over again expecting a new outcome – which, of course, does not happen unless these painful memories are somehow tackled head on. This powerful, seamlessly-written play digs deeply into the consciousness of both characters, each revealing childhood wounds. Cummings and LeBeau give electrified, fully-actualized performances, each capturing their moment-to-moment reality, revealing their angst in trying to make peace with their respective demons, eventually reaching resolutions couched in an unexpected dénouement.
Samuel D. Hunter’s GRANGEVILLE (Photo by: John Perrin Flynn)
As a side bar, while watching these extraordinary performances by two highly skilled actors, guided by a brilliant script and sharp direction, I couldn’t help thinking that anyone studying the art of acting should absolutely see these two performances to experience how it’s done at the Ruskin Playhouse’s beautiful new facility.
GRANGEVILLE
Ruskin Group Theatre
2800 Airport Avenue
Santa Monica, CA 90405
Written by: Samuel D. Hunter
Directed by: John Perrin Flynn
Produced by: John Ruskin, Michael R. Myers,
Nicole Millar
Scenic and Costume Design: Stephanie Kerley Schwartz
Lighting Design: Dan Weingarten
Sound Design: Keith Stevenson
Stunt/Fight Coordination: Jan Bryant & Dan Speaker
Props: Nicole Millar, Stephanie Kerley Schwartz & Ryan Wilson
Production Stage Manager: Nicole Millar
Run:
Fridays & Saturdays: 8:00pm
Sundays: 2:00pm
Run Time: 90 Minutes (No Intermission)
Closing: July 19, 2026
Tickets: $45
Seniors/Student/Guild: $40
Reservations:
or310. 397.3244.
(No performance June 5, 12, July 3 & 5)