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Frank has been in a fatal car crash, and now Alice blames herself. \u201cLife After\u201d is her voyage of discovery to find out what really happened.<\/p>\n
Helping (and sometimes confusing) her in the endeavor are elder sister Kate (Charlotte Maltby) and best friend Hannah (Livvy Marcus), along with Alice\u2019s English teacher Ms. Hopkins (Dan\u2019yelle Williamson).<\/p>\n
A heavy topic for a musical? You betcha. Johnson, a new face on the theater scene from Stratford, Ontario, has written book, music and lyrics for \u201cLife After,\u201d now in its American premiere at the Old Globe Theatre. The Globe\u2019s artistic chief Barry Edelstein directs.<\/p>\n In this show, Johnson explores topics of grief, loss, guilt and the inevitable messiness of life with a clever, intelligent and moving book and a score that is of the next generation: reminiscent of Sondheim (Johnson reports that she was fascinated as a child by \u201cInto the Woods\u201d) with fast lyrics and a pop undergirding. This show even has a mythological aspect: three shape-shifters called Furies, who serve as a sort of Greek chorus.<\/p>\n The script jumps around between now, then and Alice\u2019s fantasies \u2013 the physical changes accomplished visually with movable fabric panels (by Neil Patel) and Japhy Weideman\u2019s lighting. Some of the fabric has also been used in costumes by designer Linda Cho, and by Sven Ortel for projections. It\u2019s all very clever and economical \u2013 and best of all, it works.<\/p>\n Japhy Weideman\u2019s lighting maintains the almost other-worldly aspects of the plot, as does Ken Travis\u2019 sound design.<\/p>\n And with a terrific cast of engaging characters, the intriguing music and human problems we can all identify with, \u201cLife After\u201d is a winning show.<\/p>\n Hearn nails Alice\u2019s roller-coaster emotional ride from hurt to guilt to confusion and final acceptance (when she learns to do what Frank suggests in the song \u201cControl What You Can\u201d) in a terrifically nuanced performance. She\u2019ll break your heart with her final song, \u201cPoetry.\u201d<\/p>\n Parris\u2019 Beth wants to help the suffering Alice, but she has her own problems to deal with \u2013 including her new identity as the \u201cwife of a famous dead man.\u201d She takes out her frustration in the song \u201cWallpaper,\u201d in which she paints over the wallpaper she\u2019s always hated in Frank\u2019s office.<\/p>\n Marcus is excellent as Alice\u2019s only friend Hannah. These two girls are not members of the school \u201cin group,\u201d shown amusingly in a scene in which Hannah goes to a reportedly \u201copen\u201d party of the popular kids.<\/p>\n Dean\u2019s Frank is excellent as Alice\u2019s dad, and especially amusing in a scene where he does his thing as a motivational speaker, advising followers to \u201cForgive Yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n Kudos also to music director Chris Kong and his fine five-member band, who do justice to Johnson\u2019s fine score.<\/p>\n Playwright Britta Johnson is a bright new Canadian face (she\u2019s from Stratford, Ontario) on the theater scene. She began writing \u201cLife After\u201d at the age of 18. I look forward to many more fine plays from her.<\/p>\n “Poetry\u201d Video available here: www.youtube.com\/watch?v=GWHB3aZGQcg<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Life](\"https:\/\/sandiegodowntownnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/lifeafter-04-print.jpg\")
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Maltby\u2019s Kate tries to convince her sister that she\u2019s not responsible for Frank\u2019s death, but it\u2019s a hard sell, and the best she can do is be there.<\/p>\n