Life hangs “In The Balance” at Studio Stage
Listen to this articleThe eerie mood is immediately set as the show opens with two very ghostly figures. Soon a man a woman and a baby are brought into the scene. Matt [Brian Graves] is a college professor and Cass [Meg Wallace] a former dancer is his wife. The location is a beautiful cliff side home in which one would think life is as beautiful as the view. But we soon learn that there are troubles, deep disturbing troubles perhaps haunting the home or even more likely haunting its occupants Matt and Cass.
What quickly becomes obvious is the presence of some other worldly powers that are impacting Matt and Cass, but the full extent of these negative ghostly forces are profoundly amplified when old friend Kostya [Peter Nikkos] shows up very unexpectedly along with his girlfriend Alicia [Laura Gudino]. It doesn’t take long for the deep dark secrets of their past lives to begin to emerge.
There was a death of a beloved friend. Was it accidental or was it murder? Did it even actually happen? What secrets were being held burning inside Matt and Kostya? What really is the true role of Cass in this dark mystery? And is it the home or the people or all involved who are haunted by ghosts and if so, ghosts of what exactly?
By the end of Act One it became apparent to me that somewhere within the context of the show was at the minimum a large dose of psychosis. As the story progressed it became ever darker and truly haunting. But at least for me at some point it became a bit overwhelming simply trying to fully grasp the full extent of the tale being told. And to my eye the cast sometimes seemed a bit too rigid.
All that said it clearly is a wild ride on the dark side and into to a realm reaching way beyond normal conscious thought. Consequently I conclude that this West Coast premiere of In the Balance, written by A. David Redish and directed by Steve Jarrard, absolutely grabs and holds the full attention of the audience.
Are you in the mood for something very unique and more than a little scary? In the Balance runs now through December 11th 2016 at the Studio/Stage Theatre, 520 N. Western Avenue, Los Angeles, California. Show times are Fridays and Saturday at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 7:00 p.m. with two exceptions. It is dark on Friday, November 25th and on Saturday, December 10th curtain will be at 2:00 p.m. Reservations can be made by calling 323-860-6569 and tickets may be purchased online HERE.
Photos by Riley Beckham
Ron Irwin was born in Chicago, Illinois a long time ago. He served in the Marine Corps in Vietnam, became a trial lawyer, TV and radio host, CEO of a public company and once held an Emmy. He never won an Emmy he just held one. Ron has written and published twelve books. His most important book to date is “Live, Die, Live Again” in which Ron tells of his early life and his unexpected and very temporary death in 2012. That experience dramatically refocused his life and within the pages of that book Ron reveals how he achieved a much healthier life, ridding himself of Diabetes, Cancer and Heart Failure. Now Ron enjoys writing about many things including health topics, travel [he has circled the globe several times], adventure, culinary experiences and the world of performing art. Ron’s motto is “Live better, live longer and live stronger because it feels great and annoys others.” Contact the author.