Cooped up on maternity leave and eager for conversation, Jessie invites the funny and forthright Lina for coffee in their neighboring backyards. They become fast friends, quickly bonding over their shared “new mom” experience—and arousing the interest of a wealthy neighbor hoping for a similar connection. This insightful comedy takes an honest look at the absurdities of new motherhood, the dilemma of returning to work versus staying at home, and how class impacts parenthood and friendship. The matinee performance on July 22 at 4 p.m. has been designated “Child Care Sunday” — Echo Theater Company will provide free child care for parents attending that performance. July 13 through Aug. 19: Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 4 p.m., and Mondays at 8 p.m.; The Echo Theater Company, Atwater Village Theatre, 3269 Casitas Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90039; Fridays/Saturdays/Sundays: $34; Monday night performances are Pay-What-You-Want; 310-307-3753; www.EchoTheaterCompany.com.
Cry It Out
Reviews
Watching Cry it Out is pleasant and enjoyable, largely thanks to the superb talent on stage. But in all truth I have to say that at the end I thought to myself: “Well yeah life is always full of ups and downs and not infrequently things don't work out the way we would like, so what is so special about these three women?” It does however demonstrate very dramatically just how powerful is a new child in everyone's life along with the reality that life must still go on. And as for a drunk woman raising a child, well I know all too well just how devastating that can be.
“Cry It Out” is a play about the chasms in our culture between our expectations and our realities; between what we expect of a mother and what we allow. It's a play that looks at how the primal realities of being a mom conflict with the economic demands of being a woman in the 21st century. Regardless of your politics or parenting philosophy - it's heartbreaking and undeniably human. This is a production you need to see. The cast is phenomenal; the direction and design elegant and clear - it's a beautiful 90 minutes. Just don't blame me if you walk out a sobbing mess and it opens up deep questions about what it means to be a mom today.
Director Lindsay Allbaugh truly understands these people, and makes this dialogue-heavy piece fill with movement and moments of visual intensity which give it power. Francois-Pierre Couture's seemingly simple set design, combined with Rose Malone's subtle lighting changes, give a sense of season and openness which flesh in, and humanize, the tale... Funny, wrenching, and achingly recognizable as truth, the play will definitely leave an impression, and one worth mulling over.
The dynamic between the characters opens the door to a host of real-world issues, including the physical toll of breastfeeding and options for juggling careers and parenting. Looming over everything is an implicit cultural expectation that treats child rearing as an auxiliary task with not much of a social safety net. Under Lindsay Allbaugh's well-paced direction, these problems are articulately examined from the characters' varied socioeconomic perspectives. The seasoned cast brings clarity, conviction and abundant humor to these sharply differentiated roles.
Cry It Out is an intensely human story laden with emotion that should be cathartic for those who are parents, and informative for those who are not. Moments of quiet heartbreak are skillfully interwoven with humor and levity. The play shows great empathy towards all of its characters, reminds us not to judge a book by its cover, and might even make you rethink what it truly means for a child to be born “lucky.”
Sympathetically directed by Lindsay Allbaugh for Echo Theater Company, these aren't big issues, and a “third-act” scene between Jessie and Lina over separation anxiety will break your heart... Metzler explores the joys and tribulations of motherhood, not the most profound or exotic topic for a drama – but this delicate work conveys a theme with variations that will certainly connect with those who have experienced the impact of a new baby on a household.
Audiences of all persuasions will stand up and cheer Cry It Out, but mothers will most of all. If you are, or know anyone who is, a stay-at-home mom, treat yourself (or her) to a sitter and a hundred minutes of L.A. theater at its most entertaining, thought-provoking, and for those who've lived or are living it, cathartic.
Watching “Cry it Out” is pleasant and enjoyable largely thanks to the superb talent on stage. But in all truth I have to say that at the end I thought to myself: “Well yeah life is always full of ups and downs and not infrequently things don't work out the way we would like, so what is so special about these three women?”
Caring for an infant is an important part of life, yet its difficulties are rarely depicted in the arts. While there is no lack of stories about pregnancy and birth, once the child is born, the drama seems to be considered less interesting. Playwright Molly Smith Metzler begs to differ, and her play Cry It Out ably demonstrates what a compelling and complex subject the caring of babies can be. The Echo Theater Company's West Coast premiere of the show under Lindsay Allbaugh's direction is an accomplished production, and the cast is superb. - RECOMMENDED
Cry It Out highlights the privilege that comes with both class and gender and the unbearably hard choices women often have to make. It's sweet and heartbreaking and laugh-out-loud funny, sometimes all at the same. Both Chung and Ketch turn in pitch-perfect performances, as do the rest of the cast, but it's Ketch who shines the most as brassy Long Island housewife Lina, a fully-fleshed out performance that is hysterical and messy and utterly real.
Watching Cry it Out is pleasant and enjoyable, largely thanks to the superb talent on stage. But in all truth I have to say that at the end I thought to myself: “Well yeah life is always full of ups and downs and not infrequently things don't work out the way we would like, so what is so special about these three women?” It does however demonstrate very dramatically just how powerful is a new child in everyone's life along with the reality that life must still go on. And as for a drunk woman raising a child, well I know all too well just how devastating that can be.
“Cry It Out” is a play about the chasms in our culture between our expectations and our realities; between what we expect of a mother and what we allow. It's a play that looks at how the primal realities of being a mom conflict with the economic demands of being a woman in the 21st century. Regardless of your politics or parenting philosophy - it's heartbreaking and undeniably human. This is a production you need to see. The cast is phenomenal; the direction and design elegant and clear - it's a beautiful 90 minutes. Just don't blame me if you walk out a sobbing mess and it opens up deep questions about what it means to be a mom today.
Director Lindsay Allbaugh truly understands these people, and makes this dialogue-heavy piece fill with movement and moments of visual intensity which give it power. Francois-Pierre Couture's seemingly simple set design, combined with Rose Malone's subtle lighting changes, give a sense of season and openness which flesh in, and humanize, the tale... Funny, wrenching, and achingly recognizable as truth, the play will definitely leave an impression, and one worth mulling over.
The dynamic between the characters opens the door to a host of real-world issues, including the physical toll of breastfeeding and options for juggling careers and parenting. Looming over everything is an implicit cultural expectation that treats child rearing as an auxiliary task with not much of a social safety net. Under Lindsay Allbaugh's well-paced direction, these problems are articulately examined from the characters' varied socioeconomic perspectives. The seasoned cast brings clarity, conviction and abundant humor to these sharply differentiated roles.
Cry It Out is an intensely human story laden with emotion that should be cathartic for those who are parents, and informative for those who are not. Moments of quiet heartbreak are skillfully interwoven with humor and levity. The play shows great empathy towards all of its characters, reminds us not to judge a book by its cover, and might even make you rethink what it truly means for a child to be born “lucky.”
Sympathetically directed by Lindsay Allbaugh for Echo Theater Company, these aren't big issues, and a “third-act” scene between Jessie and Lina over separation anxiety will break your heart... Metzler explores the joys and tribulations of motherhood, not the most profound or exotic topic for a drama – but this delicate work conveys a theme with variations that will certainly connect with those who have experienced the impact of a new baby on a household.
Audiences of all persuasions will stand up and cheer Cry It Out, but mothers will most of all. If you are, or know anyone who is, a stay-at-home mom, treat yourself (or her) to a sitter and a hundred minutes of L.A. theater at its most entertaining, thought-provoking, and for those who've lived or are living it, cathartic.
Watching “Cry it Out” is pleasant and enjoyable largely thanks to the superb talent on stage. But in all truth I have to say that at the end I thought to myself: “Well yeah life is always full of ups and downs and not infrequently things don't work out the way we would like, so what is so special about these three women?”
Caring for an infant is an important part of life, yet its difficulties are rarely depicted in the arts. While there is no lack of stories about pregnancy and birth, once the child is born, the drama seems to be considered less interesting. Playwright Molly Smith Metzler begs to differ, and her play Cry It Out ably demonstrates what a compelling and complex subject the caring of babies can be. The Echo Theater Company's West Coast premiere of the show under Lindsay Allbaugh's direction is an accomplished production, and the cast is superb. - RECOMMENDED
Cry It Out highlights the privilege that comes with both class and gender and the unbearably hard choices women often have to make. It's sweet and heartbreaking and laugh-out-loud funny, sometimes all at the same. Both Chung and Ketch turn in pitch-perfect performances, as do the rest of the cast, but it's Ketch who shines the most as brassy Long Island housewife Lina, a fully-fleshed out performance that is hysterical and messy and utterly real.