The title of Dezart Performs’ latest offering, Grand Concourse, refers to the location of the soup kitchen in which the play, written by Heidi Schreck, is set: It’s on the Grand Concourse in the Bronx.
But one definition of the word concourse is “the action of coming together,” which the four characters do often in this play—sometimes with devastating results.
The story revolves around Shelley (Eliza Newman), a disillusioned Catholic nun who has begun to feel that her work managing the church’s soup kitchen has lost its meaning. The play opens with Shelley performing her daily ritual—setting the timer on the microwave and praying. Her goal is to fill up one minute with daily devotion, with the hopes of extending it to five minutes in the future. The trouble is, Shelley’s wavering faith makes it difficult for her to find anything about which to pray.
Enter Emma (Tia Laulusa), a college dropout who wants to “do something good” by volunteering at the soup kitchen. Though somewhat hesitant at first, Shelley soon has her young assistant hard at work slicing carrots. Soon after, Oscar (Chris Carranza), the resident handyman/security guard, is called upon to chase away some young hoodlums throwing rocks at the church. Oscar is quite flirtatious with Emma, setting up a dynamic that becomes problematic later on.
Completing this cast of characters is Frog (E.M. Davis), a rumpled client of the soup kitchen who hawks jokes for 25 cents, and who is trying to keep his mental illness under control with medication.
Thanks to Schreck’s writing and the acting skills of this strong cast, each character is clearly defined and compelling to watch. They are each dealing with their own private angst: Shelley is losing faith in God and in the impact of her charitable work; Emma is grappling with depression, neediness and a tendency to act out inappropriately; Oscar is trying to navigate a rocky romance with his girlfriend, Rosa; and Frog’s goal of seeking gainful employment while attempting to manage his meds is proving frustrating.
Even while embroiled in their own messes, they all reach out to lend a hand to each other when it’s needed. One of the questions this play asks is: When is the cost of lending that helping hand too high? What if coming to the aid of another human puts your own mental health and well-being at risk?
The cast here is superb. Eliza Newman gives a marvelously layered performance as Shelley. Efficient and all business when preparing soup and dealing with her erratic clientele, she’s tormented and deeply sensitive underneath it all. Her maternal air with Emma and the gentleness with which she handles Frog’s paranoia after he skips a dose of his meds are particularly effective.
Tia Laulusa is fabulous as Emma. Coming across initially as a timid, well-meaning young woman trying to find her way, Emma’s immaturity soon becomes apparent, and her depression manifests itself in destructive behavior. There is not a false note in Laulusa’s portrayal.
Chris Carranza is a joy to watch onstage as the easygoing Oscar. He brings energy and a breath of fresh air every time he appears. His initial infatuation toward Emma seems quite real. Carranza also makes Oscar’s distress over his situation with Rosa palpable.
Frog is a complex character to play, and E.M. Davis nails it. Disheveled in baggy pants, an oversized jacket and a ski cap, and schlepping an old backpack, Frog at first seems like a stereotypical homeless person scrambling for food. But when he starts telling his off-beat jokes, we begin to see that underneath the scruffiness and clear mental illness, there is a sharp mind and a sense of humor.
In an intense play with a small ensemble cast like Grand Concourse, it is crucial to have a skilled director, and Michael Shaw, Dezart’s artistic director, fills the bill. Shaw elicits strong performances from each of his actors. Particularly effective in this production are the moments of silence: Being still and silent onstage when the story calls for it can draw an audience in like nothing else. Not all directors are adept at this dramatic device; Shaw is.
Jimmy Cuomo’s set is, as always, fantastic. It’s an attractive and functional church kitchen with lots of detail. Kudos as well to Chase Potter (lighting design) and Clark Dugger (sound design), who set just the right tone throughout the production. The musical snippets between scenes work quite well.
Dezart’s excellent production of Grand Concourse covers a lot of ground, including homelessness, mental illness, religious faith, sex, betrayal, trust, friendship, family, charity, truth, love and forgiveness. It’s that last one, forgiveness, that stands out: What is forgivable, and what isn’t? We each have to answer that question for ourselves.
Dezart Performs’ production of Grand Concourse is performed at 7 p.m., Friday through Sunday; and 2 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, through Sunday, March 9, at the Pearl McManus Theater at the Palm Springs Woman’s Club, 314 S. Cahuilla Road, in Palm Springs. Tickets are $53, and the show runs 90 minutes, with no intermission. For more information, call 760-322-0179, or visit www.dezartperforms.com.
