Reviewed by Tracey Paleo, Gia On The Move
Sitting in the audience was like watching television…which isn’t surprising considering HAVE A GOOD ONE director, co-writer, producer et al, Stan Zimmerman has more than a knack for it. Zimmerman has been writing über successful, classic TV series like THE GOLDEN GIRLS, ROSEANNE, GILMORE GIRLS and even THE BRADY BUNCH movies as far back as the mid 80s.
His most recent foray into theater isn’t anything to sneeze at either. Many of his shows like, MEET & GREET, YES VIRGINIA, and the controversial LatinX version of THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK all made their appearances if not their premieres right here at the Complex Hollywood. HAVE A GOOD ONE, having its world premiere at the Dorie Theatre, however, is more of a directorial evolution for Zimmerman.
Occasionally uneven. That’s what I thought at first, as I watched a bunch of teenage characters, Gretchen (Megan Cournoyer), Oscar (Adrian Gamez), Joey (Tom Plumely) & Conner (Tanner Stein), go through the moment to moment melodramas of young life. HAVE A GOOD ONE, co-written by Christian McLaughlin, which recognizably organizes its story around the former Abercrombie & Fitch “look policy” (removed in 2015 by the company) hits all the key notes: sexual awakening, rebelliousness, boundary breaking, home runs (and I don’t mean baseball), fulfilling one’s dreams and curious aftermaths that defy reason. To adult eyes, these little non-plussed episodics could appear irrational, ephemeral and at worst completely unreal. But then I looked at it all through the eyes of my former teenage self. And I was like, “Oh yeah…” lol
This real-time somewhat morality comedy is like the stock market ticker. Everything 1999 teen spirit happens in a split second from the relationships to the outcomes at the Midwest Mall Penderleigh & Ashe store. The underlying seriousness of the issues never overwhelm the content on stage, and that is what makes HAVE A GOOD ONE delightful, easy and thoroughly enjoyable to sit through.
RECOMMENDED
Photo credit (above): Elvira Barjau
Popl-up Playhouse & Stephani Nicole Von Huben present:
HAVE A GOOD ONE
A new play by Stan Zimmerman & Christian McLaughlin
Directed by Stan Zimmerman
LIMITED RUN
12 performances through October 17, 2021.
Showtimes are Fridays and Saturdays @8pm, Sundays @3pm and 7pm.
A Talk Back will follow the Sunday October 10 matinee.
Dorie Theatre/The Complex Hollywood – 6474 Santa Monica Blvd. Hollywood, CA 90038.
Run time is 85 minutes.
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