Theatre West may be the longest running little theatre in the LA area. It was red hot when I was a college student, and I don’t want to reveal how old I am now! Now, of late, they have been celebrating a string of original and innovative plays. “The Feelgood Story” is the third written by the prolific Mark Wilding.
Wilding’s play concerns a fictional hi-jacking when hostages manage to foil their captors, the infamous Hand of God gang, and stage a daring escape. Naturally, this is a “feel good” story to be picked up by the networks, and the play concerns what happens when plans for a news special about the hostages goes awry.
The play unfolds on two levels: the first being a distracted tv news producer (Jill Remez) and her long-suffering assistant, {Danielle Weeks) who sequester the hostages at the Four Seasons in order to organize their show. Their relationship escalates throughout the proceedings, as the two jostle back and forth, to prod the hostages into a certain style of programming. The second level concerns all the hostages, who are reuniting for the occasion after some time. They are a unique bunch. Among them are religious evangelists {played by Clara Rodriguez and John Combs), and the one the rest decide was a stool pigeon (Casey Alcoser). Needless to say, chaos ensues.
The funniest sequence as directed by Charlie Mount, involves Alcoser as Brad, who suffers the hostages’ version of water-boarding, and ends up convinced he has another identity, which shall be nameless, so as not to give too much away. The other hostages — Jenna (sultry Bella Balsamo), Felicity (Samantha Gregory), and Gerald Potts (Steve Nevil) — has his/her story to tell, which makes for the episodic style of the play. Suffice it to say that you will be fixated the entire time!
Theatre West’s traditional box set (by Jeff Rack) serves well as the Four Seasons suite, with a “water-boarding” closet conveniently sequestered to one side. Lighting (Malcolm Wilson) and sound (Charlie Mount, doing double-duty) are, as always at Theatre West, perfectly styled to fit the play. The uncredited costuming, especially for Casey Alcoser, is just right.
The Feel-Good Story America Needs Right Now continues at Theatre West, 3333 Cahuenga Blvd. West, Los Angeles, 90068, running Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm, and Sundays at 2 pm through November 8th , 2026. Tickets, $30 in advance; $40 at the door. For information, call (323) 76851-4839, with online ticketing: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-feel-good-story-america-needs-right-now-tickets -1998656572611.
