Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Good People at Scripps Ranch Theatre

In the shadow of male privilege

Heidi Bridges (Margie) in Good People
Heidi Bridges (Margie) in Good People

Fresh on the heels of women’s marches all over the world, David Lindsay-Abaire’s Good People perfectly highlights the heartbreaking struggles of working-class women in the shadow of male privilege.

Good People

Margaret, or Margie, a middle-aged woman born and raised on the south side of Boston, lives with and cares for her developmentally disabled daughter. Margie loses her job at the local dollar store, leaving her hard-pressed to know how she will pay next month’s rent to her landlady Dottie. Her childhood friend Jean does what she can to help Margie figure out how to find a job, even suggesting she meet with an old friend from the block – Mike, now a well-to-do doctor — to see if he can help her find employment.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Heidi Bridges as Margie embodies a tired-yet-determined mother who learns to be tough and stay tough. Margie, a complicated character, has layers of secrets, and Bridges never reveals any of them before the right time. Although at points her physicality labors, Bridges gains respect and admiration with her commendable performance.

A particularly powerful moment occurs between three characters: Margie, Mike (as played by Ted Leib), and Kate (Alexandra Slade). Leib juggles Mike, a doctor and former “Southie,” with the complexity of a man at times welcoming and at others, entitled. Slade as Kate, Mike’s young African-American wife, commands the scene despite sometimes being stuck wordless, grounding the three with her attention and reactions.

Susan Clausen as Jean, Maggie’s best friend, gets lots of laughs. Clausen maintains a loving, supportive nature that makes clear Jean is one of the “good people.” Kathi Copeland amuses as Dottie, Jean and Maggie’s frenemy, who owns the latter’s apartment. Copeland lands most of her jokes, but she lacks naivety that some of the lines require. Rounding out the cast, Kenny Bordieri plays Stevie, son of a childhood friend of the ladies. Bordieri, authentic and subtle, neither overpowers nor relents in his interactions.

The production’s use of Alliant International University’s Legler Benbough Theatre stands out. Scenic designer Bob Shuttleworth built a set in the round building with a wide stage that morphs and moves. During scene changes, doors and walls fold open and close, furniture appears, and less-mainstream Adele songs underscore and enhance the melancholic mood. Rather than asking the audience to ignore transitions, director Eric Poppick embraces their payoff and uses them as a time for the audience to unpack their feelings.

The actors seem to be starting off awkward, with clunky blocking and forced movement, but they get more into their bodies and emotions as the story goes on. This indicates that the show will get better over the course of its run — good because Lindsay-Abaire’s script shines. With colorful characters and witty writing, the choices we all make in our lives beautifully reflect in the life of Margie as she struggles as a single mother in a male-dominated world.

Playing through February 26

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

The vicious cycle of Escondido's abandoned buildings

City staff blames owners for raising rents
Next Article

The Fellini of Clairemont High

When gang showers were standard for gym class
Heidi Bridges (Margie) in Good People
Heidi Bridges (Margie) in Good People

Fresh on the heels of women’s marches all over the world, David Lindsay-Abaire’s Good People perfectly highlights the heartbreaking struggles of working-class women in the shadow of male privilege.

Good People

Margaret, or Margie, a middle-aged woman born and raised on the south side of Boston, lives with and cares for her developmentally disabled daughter. Margie loses her job at the local dollar store, leaving her hard-pressed to know how she will pay next month’s rent to her landlady Dottie. Her childhood friend Jean does what she can to help Margie figure out how to find a job, even suggesting she meet with an old friend from the block – Mike, now a well-to-do doctor — to see if he can help her find employment.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Heidi Bridges as Margie embodies a tired-yet-determined mother who learns to be tough and stay tough. Margie, a complicated character, has layers of secrets, and Bridges never reveals any of them before the right time. Although at points her physicality labors, Bridges gains respect and admiration with her commendable performance.

A particularly powerful moment occurs between three characters: Margie, Mike (as played by Ted Leib), and Kate (Alexandra Slade). Leib juggles Mike, a doctor and former “Southie,” with the complexity of a man at times welcoming and at others, entitled. Slade as Kate, Mike’s young African-American wife, commands the scene despite sometimes being stuck wordless, grounding the three with her attention and reactions.

Susan Clausen as Jean, Maggie’s best friend, gets lots of laughs. Clausen maintains a loving, supportive nature that makes clear Jean is one of the “good people.” Kathi Copeland amuses as Dottie, Jean and Maggie’s frenemy, who owns the latter’s apartment. Copeland lands most of her jokes, but she lacks naivety that some of the lines require. Rounding out the cast, Kenny Bordieri plays Stevie, son of a childhood friend of the ladies. Bordieri, authentic and subtle, neither overpowers nor relents in his interactions.

The production’s use of Alliant International University’s Legler Benbough Theatre stands out. Scenic designer Bob Shuttleworth built a set in the round building with a wide stage that morphs and moves. During scene changes, doors and walls fold open and close, furniture appears, and less-mainstream Adele songs underscore and enhance the melancholic mood. Rather than asking the audience to ignore transitions, director Eric Poppick embraces their payoff and uses them as a time for the audience to unpack their feelings.

The actors seem to be starting off awkward, with clunky blocking and forced movement, but they get more into their bodies and emotions as the story goes on. This indicates that the show will get better over the course of its run — good because Lindsay-Abaire’s script shines. With colorful characters and witty writing, the choices we all make in our lives beautifully reflect in the life of Margie as she struggles as a single mother in a male-dominated world.

Playing through February 26

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Jayson Napolitano’s Scarlet Moon releases third Halloween album

Latest effort has the most local vibe
Next Article

WAV College Church reminds kids that time is short

College is a formational time for decisions about belief
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader