UPDATE (Thursday, March 24, 2022): Due to a case of COVID, the remaining performances of Good People have been canceled.

UPDATE (Friday, March 18, 2022): Town Players of Newtown has announced the cancellation of the March 18-20 performances of Good People, "due to unforeseen circumstances."

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Town Players of Newtown has opened its 2022 season with a fierce, funny, and exacting treatment of David Lindsey-Abaire’s Good People. On a simple set, this play provides a powerful punch as the characters reveal who the “good people” really are.

Margaret (played by Kimberly Marcus) loses her job at The Dollar Store. Despite her pleading with the store manager, Steve (Jacob Ragotze), to reconsider, he explains that he has no options. Corporate has determined that Margaret’s uneven punctuality is untenable and she must go.

Already living on a shoestring and caring for a handicapped child, Margaret is at risk of losing what little she has, including her home.

Landlady and babysitter Dottie (Andrea Garmun) explains to Margaret and Jean (Becca Cebollero), another struggling friend from the south side of Boston, that Margaret has to pay, otherwise the apartment goes to Dottie’s ne’er do well son.

During their conversation, which reeks of sarcasm and passive aggression, Jean lets it slide that she bumped into Margaret’s high school boyfriend, Mike (Christopher Cooney), who is now a physician living on the right side of the tracks with his young wife Kate (Kendall Driffen) and their baby daughter.

Margaret is intrigued. Desperate and without any employment prospects, she decides to visit Mike at his office, to ask for a job.

The situation gets dicey. Margaret gets pushy. Mike pushes back while Kate is in the dark about their history or who her husband may really be. As things unfold the rift between the haves and the have-nots becomes glaring. The voice of reason is Kate’s.

The quality of the production hinges on the skill of the actor playing Margaret. Marcus brings her best game to this role and she excels. The character is rich with contradiction, sincerity, and rage. Marcus’s Margaret is layered and complex. She brings her to life flawlessly.

Cebollero and Garmun each portray characters who, while struggling to keep their lives together, seemingly cannot live with or without each other. Both are excellent comic actors whose banter syncs perfectly.

Playing the struggling couple, Cooney and Driffen could not be more in tune. Driffen’s Kate works an amped-up to-do list like she’s on a mission, yet she captures the depth of her character, revealing a compassionate and caring nature. Driffen portrays Kate with commitment and energy. She is excellent in this role.

Meanwhile, Cooney renders his upstanding Dr Mike flailing as he is diminished to a superficial sophisticate with a troubling past. As his character becomes increasingly agitated, Cooney’s physicality and voice reflect the shift. He gives a solid performance.

The steadfast store manager is played wonderfully by Rogotze. His character’s sympathetic yet determined nature are made apparent by his lovely rendition.

Director Terry Sagedy utilized this spectacular cast to perfection. Good People is not to be missed.

Performances continue to March 26, with curtain Friday and Saturday evenings; Sunday afternoon, March 20; and Thursday evening, March 24. Performances are at The Little Theater, 18 Orchard Hill Road. Visit NewtownPlayers.org for additional information and ticket reservations.