Reviewed by Bob Rich
The Women of Lockerbie is about a father and mother who just lost their son, who was a passenger on a tragic airplane flight. Wisely, this play was written with an abundance of poetry, a little levity and a great deal of heart.
The mother is beside herself with grief, overcome with emotion. Her husband is stoic and pragmatic. Three neighborhood women provide ongoing commentary for us as the story unfolds, like a Greek chorus. Only at the end, when the father finds a baseball ticket from a ballgame he attended with his son, and picks up a shirt with his son’s name written in it, does the father allow himself to experience sorrow.
The performances are utterly convincing. We believe we are watching distraught parents. The three local women help us to process the parents’ complex emotions.
At the far end of the stage, we see the backdrop of a nighttime sky filled with stars. Toward the front of the stage, we see stark leaf-less trees and rocks. The atmosphere is bleak yet lyrical.
The show’s producer, Leah Verrill, explained that the play is about the importance of allowing yourself to grieve. Astute and touching. Written by Deborah Brevoort.
Highly recommended
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