Escape from Happiness

"I love the way these characters talk to each other. There is a brutal honesty to the dialogue: sometimes cruel, sometimes loving and every shade in between. Reminds me of my family and most families I am close to. Also reminds me of acting classes I've been in. Hmmm. ..." - Director Doug Lockwood While some audience members may see reflections of their own family relationships in "Escape from Happiness," it is certain that George F. Walker did not intend this play to be a guidebook for how to deal with difficult family issues. What does Nora, the matriarch of the family, do when her husband returns after abandoning the family and setting the house on fire? She pretends that he is a visitor who just happens to look like her "deceased" husband. This eccentric family tries to deal with their issues - or not deal with them - by escaping to a realm of pure fantasy. Through denial, they come to atone for their past missteps and betrayals. Director Doug Lockwood was drawn to this play, especially for Brandeis' group of graduate actors. They, too, are a "family" of sorts, which makes a violently funny family drama great material for the beginning of their second year of exploration and training. "There is an explosiveness to this play that I hope to capture, an unpredictability about what might happen next or what might be said next," Lockwood says.