Death, With Benefits by John Strysik

L to R Susan Damante, Larry Eisenbert, and Cherly David - Photo credit: Eric Keitel

 

By Joe Straw

“Did I see them Killer Grannies of Santa Monica?  Yeah, you could say that. I lived near them.  From what I heard they were just a couple of streets east and two blocks north from what you see here, a homeless encampment. I thought it was strange at first seeing these two, totally out of place and unsure of themselves, fondling ham sandwiches as a sort of enticement to get a someone here to get into the car with them.  Guys out here are so hungry and want for drink it was almost like they was throwing bread crumbs to pigeons, leading them into the car, their car.  Are pigeons homeless? No!  Thank you! They was nicely dressed, wearing athletic gear, and truth be told weren’t very athletic. Those that got into her car, well I never saw them again.  And we know what happened to the two grannies.” – A homeless witness who didn’t want his name release for fear of reprisal.

 

Ned (Kevin Dulude), an elderly gentleman, seventies or eighties, uses his walker to go into the kitchen to get some food. The phone rings, he seems oblivious to it all. Something is not completely right in his head. His quest on this night is to find food, any food. But locks on the cupboard and the refrigerator are reason why he is excruciatingly thin. His hunger makes his mind weak.  A few grapes do not make a meal and so he goes back into his room, hungry and pathetic looking.

 

Theatre 40 presents Death, with Benefits written by John Strysik, directed by Jeff G. Rack, and produced by David Hunt Stafford through February 20^th, 2022.  

 

Mary (Susan Damante) has a pretty good life.  She owns an apartment building and lives here in one of the better units on the ground floor.  And life would be heavenly if only she could keep the pesky tenants happy. The troublesome phone calls left on her answering machine were endless.  And Mary could feel for them,  only she couldn’t do anything because she was broke. Flat broke.  The only thing affordable to her was an exercise class.

 

Today is different.

 

Mary invites Duscha (Cheryl David) a name of Slavic origins, possibly Russian, meaning Divine Spirit. And Duscha is a happy person, athletic, widowed, and in want of a drink this fine morning - typical Slav.

 

Mary obliges, fixes them a pitcher of Long Island Ice Teas, and pours them into Bascal aluminum glasses.  The kind of cup that makes you cringe when teeth meet metal.

 

Mary and Duscha get to talk about life. Mary’s life in particular, how things are bad, she has no money, and how difficult it is to upkeep the apartment building.  Duscha tells her that she can fix anything, even the front door to her apartment that doesn’t stay closed. Duscha says she would fix that if Mary let her move in.

 

At first, Mary is hesitant. (Why?  One is not sure. Playing hard to get?) But, she sees the advantages of such a prospect.

 

So Duscha moves in and discovers there’s another person living there, Ned. Mary tells her that Ned is her son-in-law and that her daughter left him there.  Mary explains to Duscha that she doesn’t want to throw him out because “He’s family.”

 

Possibly, little time passed, and the front door still not completely fixed, suddenly opens which allows Ned to make a fast escape on his walker. Unfortunately, taking advantage of the Santa Monica sunshine, Ned is run over by a car, squished flat, and dies.

 

So, the policeman (Phil Sokoloff) arrives, asks a few questions, and is off.

 

Ned had a life insurance policy and this gets Mary to thinking they could offer older homeless gentlemen a place to stay, take out life insurance policies on these men, and then collect when they die.

 

Unfortunately, for the men, Mary and Duscha would speed that process along.  And Joe (Larry Eisenberg) would be their first roommate.

 

Death, With Benefits by John Strysik is being billed as a dark comedy and it most definitely was. There was a lot to enjoy in this production. 

 

Directed by Jeff G. Rack one would question if it were dark or a comedy.  Maybe that is unfair; there were a lot of good things in this play.  But, timing is critical and moments really need to hit the mark if the comedy is to work. One really has to believe the life and death circumstances of these two ladies to complete the execution of the comedy.  Playing to the fourth wall does not constitute comedy, interaction between characters do.   The audience has to believe the circumstances are real, the physical actions work, and the stakes are monumental.There are other levels yet to be explored.

 

Let’s look at this play from another perspective without changing any of the dialogue. Ned has to be perceived as an annoyance. It is Mary’s best interest to get rid of Ned so, how does she do this?

 

It has to be in Mary’s mind that she needs help getting rid of Ned. She needs a partner, someone who is physically fit, and isn’t a lunatic.  From the moment Mary comes into the apartment with Duscha, Mary has to want something from Duscha. Mary must have a plan, a belief in nihilism, and she must see if she can seduce Duscha to implement that plan.

 

Does Mary “accidentally” leave the door open, and how does that play into their next plan of action?

 

There has to be a leader in this group and one supposes that it has to be Mary and we need to see that in action and in deed.

 

Phil Sokoloff and Susan Damante - Photo credit: Eric Keitel

 

 

Susan Damante as Mary Helmsworth screams a lot in this play.  She does a fine job but this role really needs fine-tuning. Keep what she’s got just add to her action - one being the oblique prowler of a near dead man.   

 

Cheryl David has her moments as Duscha Gehenlegen.  She is the conscience of the group worrying about God and what is to become to the both of them. Duscha must put up more of a fight.  She seems to play into whatever hand she is dealt. One is not sure how or why the opera music plays into her motives or the scenes for that matter. The operatic music must play a significant role or contribute to her objective.  

 

Kevin Dulude had on this night a white beard that almost came off while he was banging on the refrigerator door trying to get it open.  The problem with the beard is that if you lose it, reality is lost, and comedy is equally lost. He also plays Geoffrey, a hairdresser, who comes to the house to change the appearance of Duscha, an action that is not completely or reasonably worked out.

 

Larry Eisenberg does a fine job as Joe, the obstreperous homeless man. He does well in playing off one woman against the other.

 

Phil Sokoloff does dual duty as A Policeman and then as a homeless man. More could be added to the Policeman but maybe that was the director’s choice. To show the audience that a policeman could come into their building and not scare with wits out of the two ladies. There is little in the reaction from the two ladies from this policeman. And possibly Mary come to the realization they could act however they wanted to act with future tenants knowing the incompetent police were nearby.   Sokoloff also does a fine job as homeless man number two.

 

Jeff G. Rack was also the Set Designer and another nice job.

 

Other members of the crew are as follows:

 

Michèle Young – Costume Designer

Derrick McDaniel – Lighting Designer

Nick Foran – Sound Designer

Judi Lewin – Wigs, Hair & Makeup Design

Marc Antonio Pritchett – Fight Choreographer

Don Solosan – Stage Manager

 

There is always free parking at Theatre 40, the people are friendly, and the atmosphere is incredible.

 

Online Ticketing:  www.theatre40.org

 

Reservations: 310-364-0535