Review: Paul Linke's IT'S TIME Reminds Us to Focus on the Future, not Live in the Past.

Given the uproar in our society today, it's the perfect time to get to the Ruskin Group Theatre for the World Premiere of IT'S TIME written and performed by Paul Linke and directed with great insight into personal acceptance and growth by Edward Edwards. I walked out of the theater in tears, convinced the way to celebrate and live my life in celebration is to look to the future with love and hope, and not live convinced the way to more forward is by focusing on the disappointments seen in rear-view mirror of my life.

The show's producer Michael Myers sums up the show's message, sharing that "Paul's story is a wonderful reminder to all of us, that even when you think the world's got you beat, just hang onto something you are passionate about and something good will come of it. It's about not quitting a second before the miracle happens." I hope, like me, you will walk out of the theater willing to accept whatever unexpected miracle comes your way by keeping your eyes, ears and heart open to it.

IT'S TIME originated from Paul Linke's true story Time Flies When You're Alive, an HBO Showcase (Ace Award nominee), created when he was the original artistic director/founder of the Powerhouse Theatre in Santa Monica. His remarkable personal journey celebrates the paths we choose in life and the resilience of a young family, once broken by the early death of his wife from cancer in 1986. With his family history taking place in Los Angeles, many of the locales will certainly ring true for those of us living in our city.

The play gives audiences a look at how a once lost young man found his way to a successful future by taking a chance and grabbing at the opportunities and strength that he saw around him. We can survive the worst life throws at us, making our future one we could not even imagine while in the throes of personal tragedy.

"This is a story that I have needed to tell for a long time," Linke believes. "I respect the importance of expressing gratitude to those who help us become the people that we are today."

It began almost three decades ago as a eulogy from a young widower to his young wife who passed away too soon, leaving him with three small children to raise on his own while dealing with a broken heart, not seeing any possible way to overcome his grief. Like many of us, writing became his personal catharsis, bringing him back to his unbreakable soul, giving him a thriving career as a writer, director, and performer of his own solo productions celebrating his miraculous life journey.

Told chronologically beginning in 1968, Linke shares how he was the only long-haired, bearded hippie in his classes at USC, then a conservative bastion of education. Creating his first personal storytelling scene in an acting class, which he shared in this show, opened up a doorway to his future.

Told with the multimedia assistance of family photos, you will feel his pain at the loss of his beloved first wife, his devotion to his children, and how he finally listened to his young daughter and found "new mommy" Christine for his children, and created a new family in 1990 which allowed all of them to thrive in a future they never expected. His message of hope and perseverance certainly shines through his unbearable pain on the road to recovering his happy family life.

It's my hope the message will open your eyes to allowing in the unexpected joy the future holds for each of us with an open heart. Perhaps begin by calling a friend in need of emotional support and listen to their story as well as their grief without judgement. And know that a hug can work wonders for the giver as well as the receiver. Time is ticking. And the time is NOW to live among the trees in the forest of your life.

IT'S TIME continues at 8pm on Fridays, 5pm Saturdays, and 2pm on Sundays through December 4, 2016 (no performances November 25 - 27) at the Ruskin Group Theatre, located at 3000 Airport Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90405. Tickets are $25 ($20 for students, seniors, and guild members) and can be purchased in advance by calling (310) 397-3244 or online at www.ruskingrouptheatre.com. There is ample on-site free parking available.

Photos by Ed Krieger

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