If you are looking for a happy ending with every plot twist neatly tied up, Stage Door Theatre’s “Cry It Out,” which opened Feb. 1, is not for you.
But if you want to experience the real-life struggles that people of diverse cultures experience after the birth of a child, I highly recommend this entertaining production.
The play, which was written by Molly Smith Metzler and made its debut at Actors Theatre of Louisville in 2017, tells the story of parents experiencing the isolation and chaos that a new baby brings.
As Jessie, actor Jennifer Brown grapples with the thought of leaving her daughter to return to work at her law firm, where she is on the cusp of becoming a partner. Amer-Marie Woods stars as Lina, whose husband works at a non-profit, making her return to work a necessity.
Cara Mantella plays Adrienne, a stressed-out high-end jewelry designer whose products are about to hit the national stage, and Matt Baum plays her husband Max, who is concerned about his wife’s failure to bond with their seven-week-old baby.
The entire play takes place in Jessie’s back yard as the friends, over coffee, talk about the chaos that a baby brings and grapple with the agonizing decision of whether or not to return to the work force.
The play seemed to start a bit slow, but as the group got into a flow, the punch lines started hitting. There was a nice juxtaposition between the humor and the heartfelt exchanges as the plot slowly revealed the divide between the “haves” and “have nots.”
As a mother, so much of the dialogue hit home, as I remembered my long-ago struggles to deal with the same issues – whether or not I would be forever damaging my child’s development by returning to work, or if we could survive without my contribution to the family income.
Looking around at the audience reaction during the play, I saw that it resonated with many of them too, with raucous laughter and a few tears, mine included.
The ending was a total surprise and a mixed bag of peaceful resolutions and anguished decisions, which honestly, is very much like life itself.
“Cry it Out” at Stage Door Theatre, located at 5339 Chamblee Dunwoody Road in the Dunwoody Cultural Arts Center, is directed by Lauren Morris. Performances run for the next two weekends. More information on the play and how to buy tickets can be found on the organization’s website.
