BE A GOOD LITTLE WIDOW by Carol Kaufman Segal

            

The Odyssey Theatre is home to a visiting production written by Bekah Brunstetter entitled Be A Good Little Widow.  The play takes place in 2007 in Hartford, Connecticut, in the home of newlyweds, Melody (Adrienne Visnic) and Craig (Sterling Knight).   

           

It is very clear that newlyweds, Melody and Craig, are deeply in love and happy in their marriage and new home.  Melody has had to move far away from her family, while due to Craig’s job, they live close to his mother, Hope (Sandy Bainum).  Hope is a widow, and she and her son have a close relationship.  Sadly, she doesn’t appear to be happy with the woman he chose to marry.

            

Craig leaves on a business trip, and as fate would have it, the plane he is on crashes and no one survives the accident.  Melody is left a young widow who has excessive difficulty coping with her situation.  With her parents living far away, and her poor relationship with Craig’s mother, she finds some solace in Craig’s business friend Brad (Khylin Rhambo) until he proves to want to be more than just a friend.

           

As Melody grieves and sees Craig in her imagination, Hope spends time with her to help her grieve and survive as a widow.  The animosity between mother and widow slowly fades away.  Perhaps Hope was not as callous as she had appeared. 

            

Be A Good Little Widow is a play filled with emotion, and the entire cast deserves acclaim for their outstanding portrayals.  The play is excellently directed by Brandon Baer, scenic design by Pete Hickok.  Performances are Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, at 8 PM, Sundays at 2 PM, through June 9, at the Odyssey Theatre, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd, Los Angeles. Tickets are available online at https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/1010034, or by calling (310) 477-2055, ext.2.