REVIEW: "At the Old Place" at La Jolla Playhouse

What does it mean to return home? Is home the people in your life, or the physical place you grew up? These are some of the questions asked in La Jolla Playhouse's new show, At the Old Place. This world-premiere production, currently showing in the Mandell Weiss Forum, was written by Rachel Bonds.

The story follows Angie (Heidi Armbruster), who returns to her childhood home following her estranged mother's death. The house is for sale, the funeral is long over, and her personal life is falling apart––her marriage is failing, and she's having an affair with her colleague, Harrison (Benim Foster). Angie seeks out the home as a refuge, and quickly realizes that she isn't the only one to view the house as a sanctuary. Two friends in their mid-20s––Jolene, played by the unapologetically brash Brenna Coates, and Will, played by the quieter Marcel Spears––have been using the property as a safe space to relax and talk about their own problems. While Jolene is initially standoffish, Will quickly bonds with Angie, and the three form on unlikely trio trying to find their way in this world.

Directed by the La Jolla Playhouse's associate artistic director Jaime Castañeda, At the Old Place is a sometimes funny, sometimes melancholy production. The play is at its strongest when Angie is interacting with the young adults––when they're learning about each other through conversations together. The revelations that come from the two separate enigmas mingling––one of academia and aged exhaustion, the other of uncertainty and youth––is stronger than any quiet moment or bit of back story divulged in a serendipitous encounter. For that reason, At the Old Place's striking and poignant moments come from boisterous, almost childlike conversations. 

Ultimately, the ending of At the Old Place is vague and leaves a lot unresolved for the characters, but that's okay. In that way, the production mirrors life and the reality that sometimes, you don't have all the answers.

The beautiful, haunting house and yard that acts as the set for the show was designed by Lauren Helpern. The ample lighting was designed by Lap Chi Chi, while the modern costumes were designed by David Israel Reynoso. Sound for this production was designed by Melanie Chen.

At the Old Place runs at La Jolla Playhouse through July 30th in the Mandell Weiss Forum. Tickets for this production start at $35, and they are available at La Jolla Playhouse's website. Check out the trailer for At the Old Place down below.

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