Dealing With Grief

Pivot

Grief is a universal emotion. Sadly, everyone will experience some form of grief in their lives and each individual will deal with their deep sorrow in different ways. In playwright Alex Lubischer’s dark comedy, cleverly titled PIVOT, he uses the meaning of that word in a couple of different ways. 

If you’ve ever driven through the flat farmland of the Midwest, you may have noticed a large water sprinkling system that’s used to irrigate large fields of vegetation. These automated irrigation systems are called a Center-Pivot. The enormous machine reduces labor, maximizes water efficiency and also allows for chemical fertilizer application. In the first ten minutes of PIVOT, a joyful young farmer named Levi is seen working on his farm’s center-pivot, trying to irrigate his field on the day before his wedding with Kara. Just as Levi is sharing his pre-wedding jitters with Doug, his longtime friend, a tragic accident takes place.

Suddenly Kara’s hopes and dreams—as well as all her carefully detailed wedding plans—are suddenly dashed. The young woman’s world is totally turned upside down, and now she has to pivot. But Kara deals with her grief by simply refusing to face reality. Levi is gone forever. There will be no wedding. But Kara can’t accept this and simply will not let go. She fervently continues with all her wedding preparations. Despite objections from Levi’s parents, his best man Doug and the family priest, she still plans to wear her wedding dress to the funeral, which would’ve been the couple’s wedding day, and invite all the mourners back to the barn for a festive reception. However, George and Anne van Acren, Levi’s parents aren’t having it, and they gently try to change Kara’s mind and make her face what’s happened. But this proves much more difficult than they anticipate.

Alex Lubischer’s bucolic story hardly sounds like a subject for laughter, but the award-winning playwright has crafted a fast-paced, 90-minute, two-act dark comedy that offers plenty of unexpected humor. The play isn’t a callous treatment of death, by any means. There are many poignant moments, as well. It’s just that while depicting how a lonely young bride-to-be is tries to come to terms with her grief, all kinds of funny and unforeseen situations arise.

Estranged from her own family, Kara met Levi van Acren after she left home and was waitressing at the local Applebees. The two quickly became friends, then dated, and eventually decided to marry. Suddenly Kara not only found a lifetime companion, she was going to be part of a loving, extended family that included George and Anne. After quitting her restaurant job, Kara envisioned becoming a farmer—not merely a farmer’s wife—but working side-by-side in the fields with her husband. She envisioned enjoying a social life with Levi and his friends and, since she converted to his religion, also a  part of the van Acren’s spiritual community. A new, idyllic life was suddenly within Kara’s grasp. But with Levi’s accidental death, Kara’s plans for a happy future were quickly crashing down around her. 

Celebrating the opening of Rivendell Theatre Ensemble’s 30th Anniversary Season,  longtime member, Hallie Gordon, has directed this thoughtful new play with sensitivity and great comic timing. She’s reconfigured the theater so that the audience is seated around the perimeter of the room. Scenic designer Jackie Penrod has converted the Rivendell venue to look like the interior of the van Acren’s large barn. With a few cafe tables and chairs in place, the space is beginning to look as if a festive event will be soon taking place. Andres Fiz has added moving projections to the space above, to add location and atmosphere to the story. 

Ashley Neal gives a great performance as Kara. Alex Lubischer’s dark comedy is her story and she lives it with passion. We empathize with Kara’s refusal to admit that her dream has tragically ended, and admire her determination to carry on as if nothing has happened. Gifted Veteran actors Keith Kupferer and Tara Mallen are especially superb as Kara’s future father- and mother-in-law, with each actor giving a topnotch performance, along side Ms. Neal. David Stobbe is excellent and shows his versatility, not only as Levi, but as the family priest and a surly Applebees waiter. Both Mr. Stobbe and Glenn Obrero, as Doug, are delightful and provide most of the humor and laughter in this play. 

However, there seem to be many small details missing from this story, which makes the play feel a little bit jerky. We learn that Kara didn’t love her father, but we’re never told the reason. The young woman left her home, family and friends behind to move to rural Nebraska, but why? At one point George confesses that his relationship with Levi wasn’t the kind of father/son kinship that he would’ve liked. But the audience never learns the reason. Omissions like these make the play feel as if we’re not getting the full story.

Rivendell has chosen an entertaining and thought-provoking World Premiere to kick off their 30th season. Recognized for their groundbreaking, woman-centered storytelling, the theatre’s production of PIVOT is an especially good choice for this company. It’s a story about how people deal with grief differently. Alex Lubischer’s script tells a captivating, heartbreaking and often humorous story that arises from a tragic event. While populating his play with entertaining characters, the playwright offers the thoughts and words of several characters, especially two strong females. As the audience listens to an extremely talented cast voicing the words and ideas of a gifted playwright, we come to understand how each of us at some point in our lives must learn to pivot.        

Recommended

Reviewed by Colin Douglas

Presented February 12-March 21 by Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, 5775 Ridge Ave., Chicago.

Tickets are available at the box office, by calling 773-334-7728 or by going to www.RivendellTheatre.org.

Additional information about this and other area productions can be found by visiting www.theatreinchicago.com.