SBCC’s ‘Significant Other’ Is a Must-See
Play Offers Wit and Food for Thought
“It feels simultaneously epic and very intimate,” said playwright Joshua Harmon in a 2015 interview regarding his work Significant Other. And although I would substitute “universal” for “epic,” that is exactly the scope achieved by SBCC Theatre Group in its production, which is currently playing at the Jurkowitz Theatre through April 27.
Significant Other follows four twentysomething friends living in New York as they transition from post-college/work/clubbing to settling down/weddings/babies. It’s a universal story and the talented cast — Hazel Brady, Aurora Cassandra Gooch, Christian Duarte, Annabell Walker, Irving Soto, Justin Kang, Marion Freitag, and Manu Davila — nailed the deft dialogue, which ran the gamut from quick-witted to self-reflective to emotionally charged.
The casting was spot-on. As the character Kiki, Brady opened Act I with a hilarious discourse that was instantly engaging. Act II saw Duarte as Jordan conquer with aplomb a dense monologue that required nimble verbal skills and emotional versatility. Each actor inhabited their character — or characters, as Davila, Soto, and Kang each played two roles — so intuitively it was easy to believe they were the longtime friends, coworkers, and lovers they were portraying. The ensemble was tight; there wasn’t a weak one in the bunch.
As their lives evolve, Jordan struggles with the changing connections of their relationships. The reward is watching him knit himself back together and come to terms with a new, equally close dynamic. As Harmon put it: “They begin to face the real beginning of adulthood, and they all feel differently as they stand on the edge of that precipice.” And the audience is right there with them. Kudos to SBCC Theatre Group for this must-see production.
