Tacoma Little Theatre Features Significant Other
Finding love is never an easy thing to do, but watching all your friends find love before you? It adds an extra level of difficulty, regardless of how happy you are for them. Significant Other acknowledges this struggle through Jordan, who is as excited to find love as anyone else yet is stuck going from engagement parties to bachelorettes to weddings. He cares for each of his friends deeply and showcases how happy he is for them, but he can’t help feeling sad for himself.
Significant Other was originally produced for the first time in 2015 and its resounding success led to a consequent Broadway production in 2017. It’s been described as “delightful, richly funny, and heart-stirring”, as well as a black comedy that represents the millennial generation.
Director Chris Serface’s rendition at Tacoma Little Theatre seems to bring in all the original play’s best qualities alongside a stellar cast of its own. Each character feels like a person I could encounter any Friday night (or Monday morning, no preference) with a depth of character and annoying quirks. In the play, we watch Jordan go through all the marriage-related events and narrate dates and work parties to his best friends, Laura, Vanessa and Kiki.
The main character, Jordan, is one of those people who feels very intensely and will talk your ear off but whose company you would enjoy either way (unless he’s going through a life crisis, which is understandable). His narrations are full of unnecessary details (or very necessary details if you ask me) and emotions pour from every word until his mouth runs dry and he can swallow and start speaking again. He’s unfortunately just going through a tough time in his life which makes him act irregularly at times. Nick Fitzgerald hits all the emotions and erratic behavior of his character, even as he speaks a mile a minute and goes back and forth between present tense and narrated memories.
Laura, Vanessa, and Kiki are portrayed by Corissa DeVerse, Amanda McCarther and Tryphaena Singleton respectively. Their energy, eccentricity and distinct take on life complement each other so that Jordan is left with a solid group of friends to support and list all his options whenever he decides to date the new guy at work.
Laura, portrayed by DeVerse, is especially warm and her down-to-earth personality is endearing. Her relationship with Jordan is the most complex and their changing lives prove to be a source of conflict for them. What I found really refreshing about this production was that there was nothing left unsaid during the most tense moments. The screenwriter, Joshua Harmon, wasn’t overambitious in trying to sum up an entire existential struggle in a few words, instead, emotions were able to be fleshed out fully and be seen in all the ways you hope people see your struggles.
On the more technical side of things, the stage was set up cleverly to be able to transition between moments easily and accurately differentiate memories from the present tense. This, as well as the format of the script and the organic narration, made it possible for scenes to transition smoothly to the point of almost “bleed[ing] into each other”. You always know what’s going on even if the scene changes mid-sentence and you go from the Moma to a memory of a hot guy dripping pool water on cement.
Overall, it was a moving and thoughtfully funny play, although I would’ve enjoyed a more optimistic point of view. It seems the end of the play slightly caters to an individualist standpoint according to which people must figure out life on their own. That made the ending feel unsatisfying and sad, even though some might find it realistic. Still, thoroughly enjoyable. It’s an existential crisis play so if you’ve ever had one (which you have because otherwise I don’t understand how you’re a human) you will relate.
Significant Other | 210 N I St, Tacoma, WA, Tacoma Little Theatre | April 21 to May 7, Fridays and Saturdays 7:30 pm, Sundays 2:00 pm
Tickets: Significant Other — Tacoma Little Theatre
Trigger Warnings: sexual situations and dialogue. Talk of suicide. Alcohol consumption.