![\"Jill](\"https:\/\/itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/GD-COUPLE-1-e1731660349394.jpg\")
<\/a>Jill Remez, John Combs,and Sam Gregory. Photo by Charlie Mount. (The photo at the top of this review is by Karen Salkin.)<\/p><\/div>\n
It\u2019s just about the perfect play, on every level, especially for this time of year! It\u2019s\u00a0just in time for the holidays, to make us feel better about our own<\/em>\u00a0Christmases. And families! (I thought my<\/em>\u00a0siblings were bad, but\u2026actually I\u00a0still<\/em>\u00a0do!)<\/p>\n Even though The Goddamn Couple Down the Hall (Oh\u2026 and Merry Christmas)<\/em>\u00a0tells the story of one family\u2019s Christmas day, there\u2019s actually much more to the scenario than just family squabbles, but I\u2019ll leave that for you to discover on your own. I promise you that is all you need to know going in; any more description might ruin it for you.<\/p>\n For you\u00a0Grey’s Anatomy<\/em>\u00a0fans,\u00a0The Goddamn Couple Down the Hall (Oh\u2026 and Merry Christmas)<\/em>\u00a0was written by the extremely accomplished Mark Wilding, an executive producer and writer on that TV series, (which I\u2019ve tried to watch a few times, and truly cannot understand the attraction of it.)\u00a0 Of the sixteen shows that the play program lists as Mark\u2019s credits, I\u2019ve seen only a single\u00a0other one\u2014a very obscure and serious series about a Mexican family in America, which was cancelled way before I was through with it! But after this<\/em>\u00a0play, I think he needs to write only sitcoms<\/em>\u00a0from now on!<\/p>\n The production is amusing right from the get-go. And it got even better for me<\/em>\u00a0when Dave Kumar, a gorgeous and comedic\u00a0guy, showed up. I almost moved to the front row to see him even better! (And, shamefully, I\u2019m not kidding.) I turn down a lot of invitations to review shows, but in this<\/em>\u00a0case, all they would have needed to do was send me a picture of Dave, and I would’ve been there immediately. No lie. So he was a very fun surprise\u2014a television series needs to gobble, I mean grab, him up pronto!<\/p>\n (L-R) Sam Gregory, Dave Kumar, Liv Denevi, Jill Remez, Cecil Jennings, and Steve Nevil. Photo by Charlie Mount.<\/p><\/div>\n I was also happy to see Cecil Jennings, (who plays the husband in the couple who is hosting this shindig,) at Theatre West again. He had been the only actor who made me laugh at a previous production there,\u00a0and, as I wrote then, “His delivery is spot-on.”<\/p>\n Actually, the casting is excellent all around. Every one of the eight (plus one unseen voice) actors is exemplary. They’re all funny in the subtle way that this script requires. I love that no one ruins the ensemble by going\u00a0over the top.<\/p>\n The set by Jeff G. Rack, who seems to design all\u00a0<\/em>my favorite sets around town, is also ideal. It\u2019s easy to see everything happening on it from any seat in that comfortable theatre. (I think Mr. X and I need Jeff to come to our<\/em>\u00a0house and make it look like one of his sets!)<\/p>\n The cast\u2019s wardrobe is pretty on the money, as well. [Note: Most of it is different than in these pix.]<\/p>\n Presciliana Esparolini, Liv Denevi, and Cecil Jennings. Photo by Charlie Mount.<\/p><\/div>\n The only weak part of the entire presentation is that complicated title! I dislike it so much, in fact, that I almost let it put me off seeing the show. Please don\u2019t let it do that for you<\/em>; I\u2019m seriously recommending it!<\/p>\n So if you\u2019d enjoy some hearty laughs, and just some excellent entertainment, not to mention to feel grateful for your own lives, Theatre West is the place to be for the next month. Do not miss this one!<\/p>\n The Goddamn Couple Down the Hall (Oh\u2026 and Merry Christmas)<\/em>\u00a0running until\u00a0December 15, 2024<\/strong> THE GODDAMN COUPLE DOWN THE HALL (OH\u2026 AND MERRY CHRISTMAS) I am so glad that I opted for an easy-going Sunday afternoon of joining my friends for a matinee of The Goddamn Couple Down the Hall (Oh\u2026 and Merry Christmas)\u00a0at Theatre West last week-end. It was the most fun show I\u2019ve seen in a long<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a>
\n Theatre West \u00a03333 Cahuenga Boulevard West<\/strong>
\n 323-851-7977\u00a0 www.theatrewest.org<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"