Review: LET THERE BE LOVE at Penguin Rep

Quite often dramas concerning race, immigration, family squabbles (and other issues that we can’t reveal here without spoiling) tend to be in-your-face, preachy and heavy-handed.  “Let There Be Love” is a play about all of the former, with none of the latter.   It is charming, moving, hilariously funny and full of tremendous heart.

The plot is not ground-breaking or earth-shaking, rather it is real, and down to earth and about the sort of problems real people have and have to deal with every day.  Brian D. Coats stars as Alfred, a cranky, aging West Indian immigrant living in England (longer than he did his native Grenada) The play begins with Alfred learning he now, against his wishes, has a caretaker.   Maria, a Polish immigrant, struggles with him initially but soon (surprise surprise) wins him over.    Alfred has managed to alienate all his friends and family.  His ex-wife whom he continually pines over, has moved back to Grenada, and his two daughters hate him.   Oddly, we only meet one daughter – we hear about the second daughter quite a bit, leading the audience to believe at some point she will make an appearance – but never does (a bit of a weakness in the plot; why is she even mentioned, let alone repeatedly?)  Alfred appears to be happy in his misery, content to live out the time he has left in solitude, but Maria will allow nothing of the sort.

The family estrangement issue is dealt with in a refreshingly real way, as is the gender issue his daughter Gemma is facing.  There is a delightful lack of “message” in the play. It never “takes a stand” or beats  a drum about equality or diversity or any other issue, rather, it simply tells a beautiful story about real people, in a real world, in a real and elegant manner.  And along the way, we learn more about those precise issues, in an organic way, than we would have if the play had been more politically charged.

Kudos to playwright Kwame Kwei-Armah for crafting such a delicate story in such hyper politicized times.  Regrettably, despite a lot of politicians ranting to the contrary, we do not live in a post-racial society and a post racial world.  That is a simple fact. The way in which Mr. Kwei-Armah raises these important questions is by showing them in a realistic context and not shying away from the consequences they have.  Not every play needs to deal with world-altering events – some just deal with life altering events – in just one life.  And as is says in virtually every scripture in every religion in the last five thousand years, “saving one life is like saving the whole world.”  

We learn early on that Alfred is very seriously ill – the omnipresent wheelchair is a constant reminder – as are his regular stabs of pain in his throat and chest.  However, being a typically proud, judgmental and irascible curmudgeon, Alfred fights with everyone from his exasperated daughter Gemma to his harried caretaker Maria.

Despite his initial resentfulness of Maria, Alfred gradually recognizes kindred problems which he (and all immigrants) faced, and he soon sees that helping her is helping himself.  Director Maria Mileaf's deft hand guides them as they “fix” each other in small but meaningful ways, and the lessons of tolerance, acceptance and forgiveness are gently realized.  

The cast is uniformly superb.   Even Alfred’s beloved hi-fi record player, Lily, plays an integral part in the story as Nat King Cole records frame the story (along with a bit of Madonna and the Sex Pistols for good measure!)  Brian D. Coats (Alfred), Tsebiyah Mishael Derry (Gemma) and Amanda Kristin Nichols (Maria) all deliver touchingly genuine and nuanced performances, and in the process provide an evening of warmly honest and authentic entertainment.  Penguin’s season has come to a close with a real winner.

The production is designed by Christopher Swader and Justin Swader (set), Katherine Roth (costumes), Greg MacPherson (lights), Bart Fasbender (sound), and Buffy Cardoza (props). Michael Palmer is production stage manager.

The show runs through Oct. 15th.  To order tickets or for further information, visit Penguin Rep's website at Click Here or call 845-786-2873.            

Peter Danish

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