What I liked
Kudos must go to director, Victoria Kelleher, for casting and cranking up the antics. She has the cast in constant motion, which is delightful to see. Their collective physicality and sense of urgency really contribute to the humor landing.
And the cast is a triumphant five-some, each having moments to glow in the silliness. Will-they or won’t-they couple, Julia (Annie Grant) and Nick (Alan Trinca) are an attractive couple with differing tempers: she has her life fully planned out and he can’t make a decision.
They each have respective besties, Gavin (Grant Jordan) and Olivia (played by writer, Kinsella). These two bet on the couple breaking up or getting engaged as a battle of who-knows-more. The physical bits between this two are priceless!
And last, but certainly not least, Sam (Dan Sanders-Joyce) is not only a burglar, but an MFT in training. His insightful knowledge of life and love is worth the break-in.
While the Hobgoblin has a relatively small stage, Otherwise, Engaged uses furniture, closets, tables and props to resemble an NYC studio.
What I didn't like
This is not an improvement suggestion, but, I am curious if any thought is given to a follow-up piece? Is Otherwise, Married in the works? What about Otherwise, Expecting? Food for thought.
My overall impression
Otherwise, Engaged is an outstanding, non-stop laugh-out-loud fest! Encompassing so much reverence to the comedy genre, the show says and does everything it needs to perfectly within an hour. And, so as not to give away any spoilers, I must applaud the surprise(s) at the end of the play! They were incredibly well done!
Much admiration goes to writer, Jessica Kinsella. Her humor reminds me of both Nancy Meyers and Nora Ephron (both comedic geniuses in their own right). Her future with farce is a no-brainer and I cannot wait to see what she pens next!
