The cast of “Good People” includes UNC Charlotte graduate Alexis Louder. Photo courtesy of NCCast.com
“Good People,” written by Pulitzer Prize winner David Lindsay-Abaire, follows the struggles of a single mother. The subject, Marie Walsh (Cynthia Farbman Harris), lost her job at the dollar store and now needs to provide for her mentally-challenged daughter as well as pay the rent to her landlady Dottie (Annette B. Gill) or face eviction.
Margie is actively looking for a job when her friend Jean (Anne Lambert) tells her she ran into a childhood friend named Mike (Lamar Wilson), who is now a doctor, and suggests that Margie finds him to see if he has anything she could do at his office. Margie finds Mike and asks for a job, but in absence of a viable position, he invites her to his birthday party to meet his wife Katie (Alexis Louder) and allows her to mingle with his colleagues in hopes that they have something. From there, things escalate into a warming yet emotional ending that is both thought-provoking and satisfying.
The play is well-written and expertly performed. There was never a moment in the play where one line felt out of place or delivered erroneously. The actors have a lovely delivery and an ability to make the characters seem real, relatable and honest. The characters themselves are skillfully created. Jean’s dark humor works incredibly well with Margie’s shyer nature, while Mike’s sarcasm and wit offsets Maggie’s comfort zone. This dichotomy creates an interesting dynamic on stage; a dynamic the audience is certainly responsive towards.
“Good People” offers social commentary of the socioeconomic discrepancies we see in today’s world. Everyone is concerned with status or money, with the opinions of others or the desperation of not being able to provide for the ones under their care. This leads to the main character taking a very drastic approach in finding financial support, which sparks the events of the play.
“Good People” is clever but still thoroughly enjoyable. While it’s definitely a play to go see if you’re into the theatre scene, it’s also a good place to start if you’re not.
”Good People” will be presented on the CAST (Carolina Actor’s Studio Theatre) until Nov. 9. To buy tickets, visit the CAST website.