With the family’s matriarch nearing death, appearing to have no chance of surviving, the family gathers at her residence. The family, however, does not have the best of intentions. Where There’s No Will tells the story of this family coming together in order to benefit themselves, find the mother’s will, and ensure that they reap the benefits of this sick woman. As the family does all that they can to locate said will, life will become incredibly tricky.
I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t typically like stage plays, and I often struggle to find the allure of these types of performances. The reality is that in live performances the actors don’t have the ability to try again and again until they get their line(s) right, or if something happens in the crowd or a joke misses it can alter the play. There are so many moving pieces and so many chances for the play to fall short of expectations, and it can sometimes be troublesome for viewers--me, I’m viewers. The subtle nuances that you can get from a film don’t always come into play in live theater and aspects of the show can be missed or overlooked, and, honestly, I’ve found this to be true of every stage play I’ve ever seen--recorded or not. However, the reality is that live performances like Where There’s No Will can feel more intimate and more emotional as a result. There’s so much to consider when interpreting a stage play--many aspects that are difficult to put into words.
Where There’s No Will possesses both the good and bad of the typical stage play (literally everything mentioned above) and falls somewhere in the middle of the road in terms of success.
My biggest struggle with Where There’s No Will comes as a result of the comedy and the audience’s reactions. Numerous times throughout the course of the production when it was clear that one of the characters was attempting to make a joke, the audience remained still and quiet creating a level of awkwardness that sat thick in the air, making said moments difficult to appreciate and absorb. Although, this may not be entirely the fault of the cast, as theater is an immersive experience and viewers need to be able to react appropriately in order for the rest of the audience to appreciate what is occurring.
The acting is questionable at times, but for the majority of Where There’s No Will the actors possess an energy that feels natural. They each appear honest in their portrayal of their characters and, while there are certainly those moments when the emotion fails to transcend viewers, even sitting at home watching Where There’s No Will feels intimate and personal. That intimacy allows viewers to remain connected to the characters and their intertwined stories throughout the majority of the production.
I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know some of the individuals attached to Where There’s No Will over the course of the past few months, and I’ve come to understand just what they are capable of in terms of writing and acting. Yes, this production comes before many of the other entities that I’ve been able to see, but part of what caused me to struggle with aspects of Where There’s No Will stems from the fact that this simply isn’t on par with other productions. It’s impossible, with literally millions of plays, films, and television shows circling the world of Hollywood, Broadway, etc, not to compare them to one another. Where There’s No Will falls victim not only to its own issues, but to the fact that this crew has proven their worth in other projects.
Where There’s No Will possesses a fantastic story, talented actors, a level of sophistication, and the potential for many laughs, but Broadway and the reality of live production hinder its ability to truly entertain and reach its full potential.
Directed by Dan Conrad.
Written by Leon Kaye.
Starring Paul White, Kathryn Fucci, Adrian Christian, Greg Vorob, Eileen Karlson, Roland Uruci, Michael Jabin, & David Thomas Crowe.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
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