PTC: EVERYTHING IS WONDERFUL

Philadelphia Theatre Company production of EVERYTHING IS WONDERFUL by Chelsea Marcantel.

The play takes place present day, Lancaster PA where an Amish Family has suffered much tragedy, the death of two sons, and one daughter (Katie Kleiger) leaving the fold for a life outside the faith. Leaving the mother (Blair Sams) and father (William Zielinski) to manage their grief in often very separate ways, including not seeing eye to eye when the stranger who has caused much of their misfortune winds up on their doorstep. And then there’s Ruth (Stephanie Hodge) their youngest daughter, full of optimism and hope.

It’s sounds like a terribly boring and/or depressing play and if it was, I wouldn’t lie. I would simply highlight it and that I was there opening night, and move on, but I’m giving this one my stamp of approval 👏🏿 It’s thoughtful, strangely riveting, humorous. I was never in fear of wanting to nod off, as can be the case with a quiet drama of this sort.

The playwright does a smart and successful job of discussing forgiveness as both a true place of healing, and a way of just covering up the past. The play also examines both the saving grace, and terrible hypocrisy of faith, in a way that’s meaningful, but not offensive. Obviously PTC scheduled it at the right time, as we’re coming up on Ash Wednesday and the Lenten Season.

Oh, and yes, the cast is a terrific ensemble! Wish I was a Barrymore Nominator on this one, but I wasn’t assigned it, I was in attendance as a guest.