Combine a touch of the macabre, plenty of belly laughs and some profoundly moving moments, and you’ve got the recipe for the perfect dark comedy play.
Mountain Community Theater (MCT) proudly presents “The Viewing Room” by Mark Edward Smith, directed by Peter Gelblum. The production opens at Ben Lomond’s historic Park Hall on Friday, May 19, and is sure to leave audiences reflecting on their own lifelong journeys.
When he died, family patriarch Chester Dumbrosky had a lot to be sorry for in his relationships with his wife and children. But he didn’t let death stop him—he appears at his own wake in a Holyoke, Mass., funeral home to try to make amends and heal old wounds.
The ensuing uproarious laughter turns serious as his dysfunctional family seeks to resolve conflicts that everyone will recognize—if they can stop laughing long enough.
Director Peter Gelblum, who recently passed the torch as MCT president to longtime member Susan McKay, is thrilled with the production, and believes it will spark some deep conversations amongst audience members.
“This play focuses on relationships, and how one’s actions in life continue to affect others after one’s passing. It’s really a story about love,” said Gelblum, who noted that folks who have caught bits of the rehearsals are doubled over with laughter at the surprising nature of the production. “It’s thoughtful and moving and very, very funny.”
Come join the fun at the Bay Area and Central Coast premiere of a show that is both “heartfelt” and has audiences “rolling with laughter in the aisles” (The Willits News). The cast features MCT veterans David Leach, Steve Capasso, Hannah Eckstein, Dave Halper, Tracy Smith and Scott Kravitz, as well as actors new to MCT, Martin Kachuck and Mo Corleone.
“The Viewing Room” runs weekends through Sunday, June 11, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at 2pm.
Community Night, when all tickets are discounted, is Saturday, May 20. In addition, there will be a champagne reception after the show on opening night, and a special talk back with the cast and director after the Sunday matinee on June 4.
Tickets are available at theviewingroom.brownpapertickets.com. Masks are recommended, but not required.
