FAMILY ONLY …Los Angeles

Be wary of your relatives if you want to show them how well your life is going because they might start comparing their lives unfavorably with yours. In  Darryl Vinyard’s delightful comedy, that’s the lesson learned by our hero when he invites family over to celebrate his big beautiful new house, well earned from years of study and hard work. 

Dad will be so proud of me! Yeah. 

 
Will (Frank Gangarossa)  has finally seen his dream come true: a beautiful home in Sherman Oaks, a loving wife (Riley Rae Baker), a good job, financial security and maybe babies in the future. So why does his success cause such havoc? Shouldn’t Dad (Roger Kent Cruz) be proud, sister (Anne Leyden) be congratulatory, grandma (Dianne Travis) be impressed, and Dad’s new wife (Sheila Shaw) be supportive? He should only hope.

Dad, you see, had his youthful dreams, but they all shattered so why should he be celebrating; Step-mom lovingly sides with Dad whatever his delusions are; Sis is too busy desperately searching for a light at the end of her tunnel of losses; and as for loquacious grandma – sure she has lots of cash but also lots of grievances that she can’t shut up about. You get the picture. Don’t invite the relatives into your dream house as they  might wreck it.

A fun play, directed with gentle humor by Arden Teresa Lewis. Produced by Benjamin Scuglia.

At Theatre West, 3333 Cahuenga Blvd. LA, through March 19. Tickets: (323) 851-7977 or www.theatrewest.org. Free parking.

Photos by Garry Michael Kluger.

Also reviewed in the March issue of NOT BORN YESTERDAY.