STANDING BY

                                                                              I’m actually a gentle person for a pain in the ass!
Jeffrey tells Ellen the moment they meet

How do you know when you’re in love? Is it when your eyes meet and you instantly connect? Or, how you talk for hours about everything relevant and nothing important?If someone does know how you can tell, let a sista know so I can pass it forward!
At first glance, Jeffrey (Abraham Arias) and Ellen (Erin Hadfield) do not even come close to being a loving couple. The first clue comes when they both take a plane leaving Los Angeles for New York. Jeffrey lives there while Ellen has some personal business to take care of right away. At the airport, Jeffrey puts on his orange covered headphones and starts pop locking to Cyress Hill’s 1993 hit “Insane in the Brain.”  Jeffrey is handsome and friendly. A little bit too friendly for Ellen’s comfort. He moves to sit beside her and she moves. This game goes on for a few seconds until Ellen gives in and reluctantly allows him to sit next to her. Every time, Jeffrey opens his mouth, Ellen quickly shoots him down. She mentions that it shouldn’t be too hard to find a hotel. Thinking fast, he invites her over to stay with him.  Who plans a trip without booking a room first? Just saying.

He claims the place is large and very roomy with one bedroom. She agrees and comes over. She knocks and he does a quick sweep of the place before letting her in.  There are beer bottles on the table, blankets hanging over the couch and don’t get me started on the wads of crumpled up paper on the floor. Once Ellen arrives, an excited Jeffrey makes many failed attempts to please her.   Instead of playing a romantic ballad, he hits play on the remote and out comes blasting “Jump Around” by House of Pain. Jeffrey is mortally embarrassed.  She quickly scans and realizes Jeffrey doesn’t live there.  He admits the place belongs to his friend Reginald who lets him crash there when he’s away on business.  Over the course of a few days, they get to know each other. She goes grocery shopping, cooks and listens to Jeffrey’s wild but amusing stories. He habitually speaks in a Vincent Price type voice who’s narrating a horror film. This quirk both annoys and amuses Ellen.  She learns Jeffrey is a divorced TV writer who wants to be a playwright instead. The television gig pays the bills until he makes it. He learns that Ellen is a retired flute player from a chamber music orchestra. She hesitantly mentions she left for medical issues.

Playwright Norman Barasch creates realistic characters with flaws and a lot of heart. Jeffrey is playful, young and fun, but, he also has a serious side to him that makes a fleeting appearance. Ellen comes across as standoffish and bougie, but inside is a woman fighting for her life. Arias is very charming and highly amusing. One of the playful things that Jeffrey, does is coming behind Ellen to the beat of “The Pink Panther’s Theme,” and scares the soul out her body. She responds by turning around and slapping him, really hard, across the face.  Ellen comes off harsh but soon, with Jeffrey’s kind nudging, lets the tall  brick walls collapse around her, turning into rubble.  Later, she goes to the hospital to do some testing on her condition. Jeffrey is at her side, cracking jokes and never stops talking or leaves her side, even when she orders him out the door. He stays put and she’s thankful, though she doesn’t come out and says it.

Under the careful eye of director Wolfgang Bodison, y’all remember him from his breakout role as Lance Corporal Harold W. Dawson from the 1992 movie “A Few Good Men,” does an excellent job in what resembles of a rom-com movie. It’s sweet without being sickening. The hilarity between the two is universal and true love comes slowly and steadily. Nothing is rushed and nothing is left unsaid. Their unbridled passion soon unfolds. The show is great from beginning to end. The relationship between Jeffrey and Ellen is real, tender and very authentic. An all-around wonderful time that will not disappoint.

DETAILS
WHAT: STANDING BY
WHERE: Playhouse West – Magnolia Studio, 10634 Magnolia Blvd., North Hollywood
WHEN: Ends this Sunday October the 6th, Saturday, October 5 at 7pm and Sunday, October 6 at 2pm
WHY SEE IT: Love doesn’t always go so smoothly but the ride is definitely worth it!
RUN TIME: 2 hours with a 15-minute intermission.
HOW MUCH: $10
INFO: Playhousewest.com/reservations OR purchase online: www.onstage411.com/standingby