Olney Theatre Center Extends "Rabbit Hole" to September 7

What is it about the Olney Theatre Center with Pulitzer Prize winning plays? They recently produced Doubt and now due to the success of their production of Rabbit Hole (Pulitzer Prize in 2007) have extended its run to Sunday, September 7. And if you have never seen this play, don't wait until Sunday to get tickets.

Director Mitchell Hebert makes his OTC debut with Rabbit Hole. He is, however, no stranger to Olney having appeared on the boards in Equus, Amadeus, Tartuffe, and will soon be playing Captain Hook in Peter Pan (opening November 18). Hebert tackles a difficult subject but does a masterful job with a terrific cast.

Once again, Olney has a superb set thanks to Marie-Noelle Daignealt. Anyone would love to live in the living room and working kitchen designed by Daignealt.  I wanted to leave my orchestra seat to sit on the comfortable-looking couch.  There is also a clever use of a turntable which exposes a bedroom on the second floor.

But looks can be very deceiving. The Corbetts seemed to have everything. They live in a beautiful home in an affluent neighborhood in Larchmont, NY, have a cute four year-old child, and an adoring dog. But tragedy suddenly hits them like a ton of bricks. Their son Danny, chasing his dog into the street, is struck by a car driven by a local high school senior, Jason (Aaron Bliden). How does any family deal with such a crisis.

The play opens with Becca (brilliantly portrayed by Deborah Hazlett) folding Danny's laundry, eight months after the accident preparing to donate his clothes to charity. Her husband Howie (solid, sensitive and grieving Paul Morella) comforts himself by continuing to watch videos of the late Danny on his VCR.  Bring tissues.

Becca's sister Izzy (Megan Anderson lends a little levity in a caring comedic yet realistic stirring performance) is always raiding the refrigerator (understandable due to her pregnancy).

Becca's mother Nat (played by the too young Kate Kiley) attempts to comfort her daughter and has experience in sorrow having previously lost her heroin addicted 30 year-old son who committed suicide.

This was playwright David Lindsay-Abaire's first attempt at Broadway. What a beginning!!

I reviewed the Manhattan Theatre Club's Broadway production in 2006 which starred Cynthia Nixon (who won the Tony Award for Best Actress), John Slattery, Tyne Daly, and John Gallagher, Jr. (pre-Spring Awakening fame) and predicted a Tony Award for Best Play (only a nomination) and the Pulitzer Prize (which it did win).  I also predicted Rabbit Hole would have a long life in regional theaters.  Thanks to the excellent regional theater in Olney, you too can experience this heart-wrenching play.

In my 2006 review I quoted a reviewer who said "I don't frequently advise people to pay good money to have their hearts broken, but trust me on this one."  I concur, AGAIN!!

For tickets, call 301-924-3400 or visit www.olneytheatre.org. Again, the final performance is Sunday night, September 7 at 7:30 p.m.

For comments, write to cgshubow@broadwayworld.com.