‘Ordinary People’ @ Lewisville Playhouse
—Carol M. Rice
Death is never easy on a family, especially when it comes to someone young and healthy and popular. In Ordinary People, we spy on a family trying desperately to survive such a death. Based on the 1976 novel by Judith Guest, Nancy Pahl-Gilsenan’s play was first published in 1983, three years after the Oscar-winning film was released. On the Lewisville Playhouse stage, the play is a powerful look at how “ordinary people” handle tragic events, and it’s not always pretty.
Conrad Jarrett survived a boating accident in which his older brother Buck drowned. Conrad subsequently attempted suicide, spending eight months in a psychiatric hospital. Now that he’s back home, his father is being overly protective and his mother is practically ignoring him. He doesn’t know how to interact with his friends anymore, and he blames himself for Buck’s death. He starts seeing Dr. Berger, a psychiatrist who ultimately helps him come to grips with what he went through.
Andrew Cave cycles through all the emotions as Conrad and has excellent chemistry with the other actors, especially Robert San Juan (his father Cal) and Vivian Langdon (his eventual girlfriend Jeannine). Cave and San Juan make their performances seem more like lovely, natural conversations with each other onstage; they have nice, natural chemistry.
Langdon’s Jeannine is open and friendly, and her curiosity about Conrad’s past as she tries to get to know him is realistic and fun to watch, especially as she relaxes into their friendship.
As Conrad’s mother Beth, Wendy Barrett is truly an ice queen, whether dealing with her son or her husband. She only melts a few times with Cal but immediately freezes back up again. Barrett is appropriately stiff and comes across as unfeeling through most of the show.
Danny Macchietto plays Dr. Berger as an annoying yet necessary evil. He obviously cares for his patients, but he isn’t going to force them into anything they aren’t ready for. He provides some needed comic relief at times, and also some grounding when things get out of hand for Conrad – and Cal – at home. His scene with San Juan is especially good.
As Conrad’s friends from the school swim team, Andrew Buchanan (Joe Lazenby) and Josh Schnitzer (Stillman) are as different as they can be. Buchanan really cares for his friend and works hard to get back into his life so things can be “normal” again between them. Schnitzer comes really close to being the class bully but generally stops just before going over the line. It’s really hard to imagine Lazenby, Stillman, and Conrad as friends, even before the accident, but I know from experience that being on a team will create some unlikely relationships.
Karen Aldrich, a former psychiatric patient alongside Conrad at the hospital, is played with jittery uncertainty by Briohny Dycus. She makes it apparent from the first time we see her that all is not well, yet without going over the top or obviously foreshadowing her fate.
Kristal Seid has put together a strong cast, and her blocking sans blackouts on the stunning split-level set keeps the pace up throughout the show.
Scenic designer Cody Thomas has created a fabulous multi-use space on the intimate stage at Lewisville Playhouse, and the mid-century modern furniture and fixtures in the Jarrett’s house tie everything together beautifully.
Costumes by Dayna Rae Dutton work well for the characters, with just enough costume changes for us to be aware of time passing.
Kudos must also go out to fight and intimacy coordinator Amy Cave (who also served as assistant director) for the realistic and safe fights and kisses.
Ordinary People is one of those plays I’ve only seen once before onstage, and it’s always a treat to see lesser-known works done well. Lewisville Playhouse has a solid show on their hands.
WHEN: February 6-22, 2026
WHERE: 160 W. Main Street, Lewisville TX
WEB: lewisvilleplayhouse.org
