REVIEW: "The Blameless" at The Old Globe

With the issue of gun control being a fiercely-debated topic in modern society, The Old Globe's newest production––The Blameless––is a timely take on the reality of how school shootings can impact those left behind. The production is staged at the theater-in-the-round (Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre), with bright lighting provided by Bradley King. Developed in The Old Globe’s 2016 New Voices Festival, writer Nick Gandiello creates an emotional, compelling narrative that deals with the not-so-immediate aftermath of a college shooting. A year after the horror, one of the victim's families schedules a meeting with the shooter's father.

Directed by Old Globe veteran Gaye Taylor Upchurch, The Blameless sounds like a heartbreaking drama––and in some aspects, it is––but what was most surprising about The Old Globe's latest show is that for every tear-wrenching, dramatic beat, a light-hearted stab at comedy followed. A modern dramedy through and through, The Blameless finds the light even in the darkest of moments. 

With a stellar cast that has an ear for comedic timing (most notably Antoinette LaVecchia, who plays grieving mother Diana Farcia, and Amara James Aja, the awkward yet well-meaning Howard, boyfriend of Diana's daughter), The Blameless is a thought-provoking narrative from a fresh young writer.

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