Review: Encore Theatre District's FALLING is a Flawlessly Executed, Must See Drama

Encore Theatre District is one of the newer community theatre companies in the Coachella Valley. With Deanna Jent's FALLING, produced in conjunction with the Coachella Valley Autism Society - part of each ticket sale will go to that organization's young adult programs - the company has come into its own. Its presentation of FALLING is a brilliantly executed, must-see production for theatregoers who are willing to shed tears as they are forced to think and feel.

FALLING tells the story of the Martin family, a similar family to Kelli Stapleton's, the blogger serving a long sentence for trying to kill her violent, autistic daughter as part of a possible attempted murder-suicide. The difference is that none of The Martins tries to kill anyone. Yet, 18-year-old Josh (Jeremiah Rhoads), who is autistic and low-functioning, may well kill someone now that he has become aggressive and violent. The parents, Tami and Bill (Ann Van Haney and Andrew Patscheck), have learned how to physically restrain Josh and to get him to avoid melting down some of the time, but their younger child, Lisa (Brenna Williams), feels neglected and is angry that her parents have not sent Josh into residential care. Into this teetering household comes Grammy Sue (Alden West), Bill's Bible-quoting mother, who plans to stay for a week while her plumbing is replaced. She hasn't seen Josh in three years because of her late husband's long-term illness; the younger Martins can't safely travel out of town with Josh, who was a non-violent, calmer teen the last time the grandparents visited. The tensions between the parents erupt when Bill complains that Tami won't ever find a residential facility to her liking and that Bill doesn't know if he can continue to live with his son.

The acting by the entire cast is superb, and director Tiffanie Patscheck, herself the mother of two autistic sons, skillfully brings out the best in each performer. An ongoing theme is Josh's love of feathers, which he tosses around the living room and which no one ever successfully removes from the floor. At one point, while Tami is cleaning feathers, Grammy Sue tries to push a few into a pile with her cane to help out. This is the kind of detail that the director and actors include, and that makes the story come to life. Mr. Rhoads, who is director Patscheck's son and Andrew Patscheck's stepson, obviously based his performance on his two brothers. He is energetic as he gleefully tosses feathers, plaintive as he covers his ears when he hears a barking dog, and angry when he announces he doesn't want to go to school.

Ms. Van Haney and Mr. Patscheck play off each other perfectly. Ms. Van Haney's tears are real during the emotion-packed second act. The tension between Tami and Bill is palpable as Ann pushes her husband away, complaining that his solution to everything is sex. These roles could easily be overdone, especially during the scenes with Josh, which would turn the play into a soap opera, but both parents are matter-of-fact, trying to use a reward system and sending Josh to his room if he needs "private" time, which they know because his hands are in his pants. Grammy Sue could easily become an obnoxious stereotype, with her advice that the family needs to pray harder to cure Josh, to which her son replies that, if she wants to pray, she should pray for better housing programs. Yet, Ms. West instead plays her role with warmth and compassion. Ms. Williams, too, is thoroughly believable as the annoying teenager who is all but ignored because she is "normal."

The technical design is also excellent. Mike Van Haney's set is the typical living room of a middle-class family with a toddler in the house, with feathers and stuffed animals strewn around. Of course, there is no toddler - instead it is Josh who has created the chaos. I especially liked two design details: Josh likes to play on the computer, but instead of sitting on a chair, he has a large ball that people with back troubles use for exercise. I can easily picture Josh deciding that he feels safer on the ball than in a chair. The other detail that especially struck me is that the uncredited lighting designer uses dim lighting for a poignant scene, making the events seem surreal.

This show is a must-see, and deserves to sell out. FALLING will run through May 26th, Friday and Saturday at 7pm and Sundays at 2pm. There will be two private performances on Saturday at 2pm for those associated with the Coachella Valley Autism Society. Tickets are on sale at https://bpt.me/4073169.

The rest of the crew consists of assistant director Manuel Rincon and stage manager Nick Wass.

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