[NoHo Arts District, CA] – A NoHo Arts theatre review of Mercy at Hollywood Fringe Festival 2024.
It is not an easy task to describe the play, Mercy, which was performed on the Main Stage at The Broadwater Theatre for the Hollywood Fringe Festival. As I sat in the audience of a sold-out performance, the stage was populated by seven actors seated around the stage where a Persian rug was laid.
The lights dimmed and the few remaining patrons took their seats. An actor takes center stage and announces to the audience that this play is not a performance, but a rehearsal. He takes his seat and the adventure begins. One by one we are introduced to the characters. Danny, played by the very believable and angst-driven Sam Golzari. Sol, the father of Danny is played by the remarkable Bernard White. The delicately crafted character of Danny’s wife, Terri, played lovingly by Julia Frith. Together they show the marriage of two diverse cultures joined by tender love. Danny’s sister, Yaz, who is wickedly brought to life by a convincing and biting Afsaneh Dehrouyeh. The Police Inspectors, Taylor and Surgeon, played by William Charlton brought an atmosphere of calm and confidence when he took the stage.
To not spoil the main plot points of this beautifully written and directed play, I shall not give you a blow by blow, needless to say, that the relationships of every character to one another are brought together in a symphony of deft and poignant dialogue. I must say that when the actress, Shila Ommi, who plays Sol’s strong-willed wife, Amireh, takes the stage, my eyes, ears, and heart were captured by her endearing and heartbreaking performance. Not to say that there isn’t any humor in the play. In one particular scene where the good Dr. Van BenSchotn, played with playful delight by, Jeff Sugarmen sits between Sol and his pleading wife, the magic lifts the energy and the stakes to its highest points.
I sat in a darkened room amongst strangers and all of us united by the sublime performance of the cast felt as if we were somehow included in this family’s most personal and private world. This particular subject of dignity of a human being to choose their own fate rang a personal chord with me. I watched as my heart broke with Amireh. Sol’s desperation was my desperation. The cluelessness of Danny and Yaz’s knowledge of what was happening to their mother became my concern for them. And feeling like the outsider of a family bonded by grief was mine as well. That is the magic of theatre. Being in a collective and feeling like the play was specifically written for me to watch and feel on this night alone.
To the cast and crew, producer Gary Copeland, and the writer-director Mandi Riggi, thank you, merci, متشکرم.