STANDING BY - Playhouse West/Magnolia Studio

Reviewed by Amalisha HuEck 

A lot can happen in four days, especially if we meet someone very special, and true love happens. This is the second production I've seen at the Playhouse West Theatre, which left me impressed with the guidance of the director in development of the characters.

Standing By written by Norman Barasch and directed by award winning director Wolfgang Bodison is a heavy play yet done with much humor and lightness for the majority of the first act and here and there throughout the production.  'Through a chance meeting, Jeffery, a rambunctious, free-spirited television writer, and Ellen, a concert flutist who is more private and reserved, fall deeply in love despite their differences. But their blossoming romance is cut short by Ellen's leukemia relapse. Forced to confront their deepest fears and past wounds, they learn the true meaning of love and courage.'

This two-actor show keeps the audience on their toes from the very beginning. Abraham Arias (Jeffery), with enormous bouncing fun and playful energy wonderfully toys with each of his lines and the fast emotional changes keeps the audience engaged and laughing. From an original one-act play he wrote and starred in, to many Playhouse West productions and recent film festival appearances, Abraham is making his way to stardom. He is such an authentic and wonderful actor. This show would not be the same without him.

Another character Ellen (Erin Hadfield) is quite different than Jeffery, in many ways, yet they play beautifully off of each other. Her subtle but strong energy, in addition to Jeffery's, is what makes the show even stronger. The bond between those two actors is magical.  Erin recently won Best Actress in a Short Film Drama at the 2024 Playhouse West Film Festival and is currently in pre-production to star in a web series that she wrote.

Wolfgang Bodison (Director) 'graduated from the University of Virginia, where he earned a degree in Fine Arts. As an actor, he is best remembered for his powerful performance as Lance Corporal Harold Dawson in A Few Good Men. As a working actor, he boasts a long list of ever growing, film and television credits. As a writer and director, Wolfgang produced the short films, all of which have screened in major film festivals worldwide and have won several awards. Under his director hands this production blossoms.'

The collaborative work between the three of them, keeps a constant smile on the faces of their audience and when the heaviness hits, everyone is deeply affected. The fast costume and scene changes with the delightful, joyous, and uplifting music choices contributes greatly to the flow of each scene.

'Playhouse West is a training ground for actors, writers and directors founded by Robert Carnegie and Jeff Goldblum in 1981. As an adjunct to their on-going acting classes, they produce plays in repertory, using exclusively their current students, which are directed and often written by Playhouse West staff members and students.'

Standing By (Dramedy) at the Playhouse West - Magnolia Studio, 10634 Magnolia Blvd., North Hollywood, CA  91601 runs through Sun, Oct 06 ^th.   Tickets are $10. Saturday shows are at 7:00 pm and Sunday ones are at 2:00 pm. Running time is 120 minutes with 10 min intermission. There is street parking.