Geffen's 'Life' Pure Quality Theatre

In Hollywood, it is often the case that when a real world catastrophe happens to occur shortly before the release of a motion picture which tells an eerily similar story, executives are quick to shelve the project in hopes of avoiding the offense of any sensitive-minded people.  The rationale behind such a decision might benefit the occasional terrorist-themed action flick, but, luckily for the Geffen Playhouse, playwright Jane Anderson's world premiere production of Quality of Life made it to the stage, benefiting from the recent rash of wildfires plaguing Southern California.

Although Quality of Life does not directly deal with the Los Angeles and San Diego County blazes – it actually is set amongst a fire some years ago further north – the timeliness and still raw emotions of local audiences only further add to the already heavy-hitting themes explored in this riveting exploration of morality and politics.

Anderson's work, which she also directs, follows the lives of two couples, one from neo-con Middle America and the other from the hippy dippy California wilderness, as their paths converge over mutual devastation.  As the center of the play are Neil and Jeannette, fascinatingly played by Dennis Boutsikaris and Laurie Metcalf, whose recently burned down hillside home brings about a chain of events that ultimately leads to the public outing of their plans for a Shakespearean suicide.  Neil has long been suffering from a fatal bout of cancer, and wishes to end his prolonged demise in peace, while his free-spirited wife Jeannette is unable to imagine living without her one true love.

Enter JoBeth Williams as Jeannette's cousin Dinah, along with Scott Bakula as Bill, her overly righteous husband.  Wrought with their own suffering – the brutal murder of their teenage daughter – these two seemingly miserable pairs do anything but love the company they find themselves in.  When right-winged Bill catches wind of his liberal-minded counter part's Kevorkian-like plans, a bully pulpit approach is taken as he attempts to take a moral high ground in the fighter over defining the quality of life.

That is not to say Anderson pushes her own political beliefs upon the audience, rather she carefully constructs two somewhat fair and balanced views on issues of suicide, drug use and religion.  Of course, the usual backgrounds are pitted against each other – whacky California agnostics versus Jesus freak flyover territory dwellers – but such is reality in current politically fractured times.

Quality of Life remains highly relevant leading up to next years presidential elections, and the enormously talented cast treats the work with utmost sincerity.  Metcalf and Williams have the most dynamic characters to develop, as both come to terms with the others choices and their roller coaster emotional journeys drive the heart of Anderson's work.

Bakula plays Bill as a beaten and forlorn tragic figure, capturing the heavy burden of a tortured parent, while Boutsikaris is warming as Bill's foil, gently crafting Neil as the odd voice of reason, having looked death in the face and accepted it willingly.

Such cluttered and convoluted beliefs of both dogmatic and freer spirited thoughts are reflected through Francois-Pierre Couture's fire ravaged stage design.  Ghostly photography of charred land fills out the backdrop giving a harsh reality check for Southern California residents.

As Warren Zevon's "Keep Me in Your Heart" plays out the production, Quality of Life is sure to remain in audience's minds for a long time to come.

The Quality of Life plays through November 18, 2007 at the Geffen Playhouse, located at 10886 Le Conte Avenue in Westwood.  Tickets range from $69 to $74 and can be purchased online at GeffenPlayhouse.com or by calling 310-208-5454.

Photos by Michael Lamont.  (1) Laurie Metcalf, JoBeth Williams and Scott Bakula; (2) Laurie Metcalf and Dennis Boutsikaris; (3) Dennis Boutsikaris and Laurie Metcalf.

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