by Charlsie-Kern Kruger

In David Lindsayp-Abaire’s fairly conventional play of social drama, a successful physician has to face up to a complicated history when someone from his working class youth has the temerity to make a messy appearance in the upscale rooms of his medical office and his elegant suburban home.

The poor neighborhood is Boston’s South side, home to generations of poor Irish immigrant families pressed together in multi-family townhouses, and the upscale community is Chestnut Hill, an elegant village of sprawling colonial homes, tree-filled parks, and home to many lace-curtain Irish. “Lace-curtain” Irish is Southie talk for Irish families who have forgotten where they came from and put on fancy airs.

Margaret, a single mother of a developmentally disabled teenage daughter, renting half of a duplex on the south side, has lost her job at the Dollar Store after years of employment. Manager Stevie, a life long friend, is forced by his boss to fire her because of her chronic lateness. Margaret protests that he should realize she is only late because her daughter’s caregiver (and Margaret’s landlady) is unreliable, and Margaret can’t leave her daughter alone. Dottie, the landlady, isn’t a bad sort at all, but she’s aging. These are good people who are being beat down by circumstances. Margaret’s best friend Jean has a solution, though. Margaret, she says, should get in touch with a former high school boyfriend, a nice guy who has made good as a doctor. Perhaps he’d give her a job. Margaret is hesitant, but her situation is desperate and she decides to give it a shot.

That is the setup for the confrontation between Margaret and her former boyfriend. They are both good people, surrounded by good people, but they live in different worlds. Did Mike escape his destiny by making wise choices or was he mostly just lucky and well cared for? Has Margaret remained poor because she made the wrong choices when she could have done as well as Mike if she had really tried? Is the Dollar store manager an a’hole who fires his friends, or a man just trying to do his best? Nobody here is perfect, and nobody is profoundly bad.

You’ll find no spoilers here, but of course it is inevitable that as a result of the encounter between Margaret and Mike, secrets will be revealed, characters will be examined under pressure, and everybody’s relative goodness or badness will turn out to be a matter of perspective.

Life is a lot like the games of Bingo that the Southies play every weekend at the local Parish Hall. Sometimes your number comes up and sometimes it doesn’t. And if, Mike , you believe that your charmed life is the result of your hard work and smart choices, you might just have to face up to the fact that luck played a part for you too. Life goes up for some good people and down for other good people and life isn’t perfect and everybody tries their best.

This insight is true enough, but it’s not news.

But despite its lack of depth, “Good People” is good entertainment because David Lindsay-Abaire creates likable people, and has a great flare for comedy. Equally important, director Russell Kaltschmidt knows how to make the best of the comedy, and his excellent cast all know how to get their laughs. Especially good on that count is Marsha Van Broek as Dottie. She’s crusty, loving, and hilarious, and delivers her zingers like an old school Vaudevillian. Alicia Rydman and Daron Jennings as Margaret and Mike bring a welcome depth to their characters. In supporting roles, Samuel Barksdale (Stevie) and Nicole Naffaa (Jan) get the job done. In the least comedic role of Mike’s wife, Kate, Rezan Asfaw performs with quiet, charismatic dignity.

“Good People” is not a particularly challenging play, for either actors or audience, but it is charming and funny, well acted, well directed and well-designed by a skilled team including Tom Curtin (sets), Stephanie Anne Johnson (lights)  and Christine U’Run (costumes). Go, laugh, and have a good time.

And, by the way, this Boston native thought Sarah Elizabeth Williams’ dialect coaching was very convincing.

“Good People” will continue at Altarena Playhouse through September 21, 2025. For further information click here.

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Rating: *** (For an explanation of TheatreStorm’s rating system, click here.)
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“Good People” by David Lindsay-Abaire. Produced by Altarena Playhouse. Director: Russell Kaltschmidt. Set Design & Construction: Tom Curtin. Lighting Design: Stephanie Anne Johnson. Sound Design: Jeremy Letheule. Costume Design: Christine U’Ren. Property Design: Jenna Forder. Dialect Coach: Sarah Elizabeth Williams.

Cast:

Margaret: Alicia Rydman. Steve: Samuel Barksdale. Dottie: Marsha Van Broek. Jean: Nicole Naffaa. Mike: Daron Jennings/ Kate: Rezan Asfaw.