BECKY’S NEW CAR

I always enjoy seeing the plays at Theatre 40 in Beverly Hills. Besides that their offerings are really good 99.9% of the time, (which is a record,) I just love the interesting location, which is underneath Beverly Hills High School.  I get such a kick out of that. It’s the easiest theatre experience in town, and I’m always very comfortable there.

And their latest show, the comedy Becky’s New Car, is yet another good one. This fifteen-year-old play, (that I had never even heard of before,) is sort-of charming and definitely amusing. It’s so entertaining, in fact, that I kept forgetting to take notes!

Because, as my friend Jeanine said, the narrative is “full of different twists and turns,” I don’t want to ruin any of the fun for you by telling you much about the plot, except to say it involves romantic relationships. To put it in internet terms, it reminds me of one of those “Am I The Asshole” stories. [Note: If you really want to know the main action, you can just look it up.]

I had zero idea what the play is about before I went, but I trust this theatre, so I was curious to see it. And I still had no idea where it was going for a long while in Act I. But it didn’t matter; it was more fun that way. I actually didn’t even understand what the story is until it was over! But I enjoyed going on the journey. And in her opening monologue, Becky does give a little hint of what is to come when she explains what she believes certain words, such as “car,” mean for middle-aged married women. But then she does work for a car dealership, so I didn’t give much thought to what she means by that.

Jeanine said that the tale is “quirky and different,” assessments with which I concur. I also like that no one has to get a mental hernia trying to follow the action—it’s all linear, (or occasionally simultaneous,) and easy enough for everyone to understand.

The casting of the seven actors is spot-on, as is the acting itself. There’s not a weak one in the bunch. I found the actor who plays the husband, (and has the wonderful moniker of Grinnell Morris,) to be the most believable, although I can’t put my finger on why.

And speaking of casting, I really appreciate that instead of the heading of the list of actors being labeled “Cast,” it reads, “Featuring the talents of.” Very classy.

Speaking of talent, Becky’s New Car features another winner set from Jeff G. Rack. It’s worth it to go to every show at Theatre 40 just see the new creativity that Jeff comes up with every time!

I rarely mention the directors, but I got a kick out of this one, who did a great job with the many different locations in the play. She’s Cate Caplin, (who shares her name, but spelled differently, with the “cleaner,” Kate Kaplan, on TV’s The Blacklist, which I’m sure that director Cate is sick of hearing about! So, I’m sorry about bringing it up again.) I was introduced to her at intermission, and was pleasantly surprised to meet a very sweet, peaceful, engaging director, who spent time talking to this stranger on opening night! I promise you that’s not the norm.

The only small thing that I didn’t love about the presentation is part of the script of Becky’s New Car, the fault of which lies entirely with the playwright, and not this production. And that is that Becky often talks to the audience. Everyone else seemed to appreciate it, but I like a play to be an entity unto itself, rather than a presentation that is partially to the audience. Every time she did that, I was brought out of the scenario and back into reality.

But in reality, there are so many reasons to patronize Theatre 40: Their shows always begin on time, all seats have excellent sight-lines, the shows are beyond affordable, and all the uber-convenient parking is free!  And with just about all of their presentations being winners, I encourage you to check-out their schedule for next season, and perhaps even become a subscriber.

Becky’s New Car running through June 15, 2025
Theatre 40  241 S. Moreno Drive  Beverly Hills
310-364-0535 www.theatre40.org