The Write Act Presents “Unforgettable”

The Write Act Presents “Unforgettable.” Written by Rochelle Perry. Directed by Cassie Soliday.

There’s something about The Brickhouse Theatre.  It’s small, tucked away in the back streets of NoHo, but it has character and presence. 

It gives the work performed there a sense of place and time. Perhaps it’s the exposed brick. It gives the spoken word a warmth and a resonance that you just can’t get from the painted black walls of most smaller theatres in LA.

This play, “Unforgettable,” with its deeply emotional core, needs the support of this particularly special theatre.  The story revolves around an aged Japanese woman who has just lost her husband to gun violence and, through her haze of dementia, she struggles to accept it.  Her young granddaughter, just about to graduate college and a pretty typical woman of her generation and affluent upbringing, is taking care of her while her mother takes a break. 

The two of them wrestle with their collective now and the grandmother’s past, which flits in and out of her mind manifesting on stage with younger versions of herself and her handsome husband, making her unsure of everything.   She quite heartbreakingly has no memory of the night an intruder broke into the house and shot her husband.  So as the play unfolds and her granddaughter tries to find her own role in this strange reversal of care, we laugh with them, we weep with them, and we marvel at the story of one woman’s journey from Japan in the years before the war, her marriage against her families wishes to a Filipino man and their immigration to the states.

It’s a beautiful piece.  The supremely genuine and exquisite performances by the two leads give nuance and pathos and humanity to the story. 

The supporting cast is also wonderful and what begins as a simple story of loss becomes something with much more depth and with an undeniable relevance in today’s world.

As usual, Write Act Repertory has brought us a fascinating and compelling story, filled with excellent performances.  This tender and beautifully moving play is a joy….Bravo!

Ticket info and showtimes

The Brickhouse Theatre, 10950 Peach Grove St., North Hollywood, 91601

It runs till October 13, so don’t miss it! https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/4334653

Cast:

Tracy S. Lee (Rita), Randi Tahara (Keiko), George Infantado (Joseph), Ami Shimada (Young Keiko), Godfrey Flax (Marc/Police Officer) and Diane Chernansky (Doctor).

Production Team:

John Lant (Producing Artistic Director), Tamra Pica (Producer), Rochelle Perry (Playwright), Cassie Soliday (Director), Isabel Gallegos (Costume Designer), Jonathan Harrison (Associate Producer) and Lynn Barzola (Graphic Designer).