‘Good People’ deftly explores divergent paths in Elgin production

The iambe theatre ensemble will cap its fourth season with “Good People,” the first production in which all three of its founders share the stage together: Shannon Mayhall, Doreen Dawson and Liz Recht Johnson. It plays through Nov. 10 in Elgin.

The 2011 Broadway hit was written by playwright, lyricist and screenwriter David Lindsay-Abaire, also known for the Pulitzer Prize-winning play “Rabbit Hole.” “Good People” is set in the Boston neighborhood of Southie (Lindsay-Abaire’s old neighborhood), “where this month’s paycheck covers last month’s bills,” and in Chestnut Hills, home to the affluent.

Margaret Walsh, single mother, is let go from a dollar store and faces eviction. This is the seventh job she’s had this year, and she has a child with disabilities whom she must provide care for. With the encouragement of her friend Jean, she approaches Dr. Mike for a job; an old high school fling, he made it out of Southie, maybe she will, too.

The iambe theatre ensemble was founded in 2021 to provide high quality theater that focuses on “honest, provocative, compassionate explorations of the human condition, with an emphasis on the underrepresented, particularly women of all ages.”

It seems “Good People” is the perfect fit for iambe. Dawson says the initial attraction to the play was the “sharp, witty, often hilarious dialogue” and well-drawn realistic characters. Beneath all the comedy are serious themes: poverty, class divide and how much luck is involved in a person’s life. Director Annie Slivinski has cast well, and Saren Nofs Snyder has coached the cast ably with their Boston dynamics. Matt Hordyke is a consistent board operator of Kurt Lemke’s lighting and sound design.

The six members of the ensemble are all credible and engaging under Slivinski’s direction. And they quite delightfully keep a running gag about a turkey going throughout the play.

Wyatt DeLair is Margie’s boss, Stevie. He has the difficult job of letting her go from the dollar store. She’s been late every day (although she believes the firing is because she’s expensive at $9.20 an hour), and his head is going to roll. DeLair plays Stevie fresh and energetically, and projects the chemistry he’s had with Margie throughout his life (his mom and Margie were classmates). And boy! Does he knows how to illustrate frustration.

Dottie, the defensive landlady and bingo-playing gal pal of Margie’s (creator of $5 rabbits), is superbly portrayed vocally and facially by Shannon Mayhall. (And watch out when one of her creations is smashed! The audience jumped!) She has a vision for the future and a plan for her son that is constant.

Jean, the mouthie from Southie, is the sarcastic loudmouth pal of Margie’s. As portrayed by Liz Recht Johnson, she is utilized as the comedic relief and to further the plot. And she does it well.

Nikki Harris is Kate, the wife of Dr. Mike. Self-aware and resilient, she is attempting to be collaborative with her husband through therapy. She maintains the most integrity of the six characters. Harris has a great, soothing voice and is a strong actress.

Brian Koester is Mike, a reproductive endocrinologist; he’s been accused of being an Upton Sinclair character. Koester hides Mike’s Southie past and portrays a character who is very competent, very professional and very communicative, at least when Margie first comes looking for a job. His character is also curious and emphatic. The tension that builds between Koester and Dawson is remarkable.

But it’s Doreen Dawson who carries the play on her shoulders with her amount of dialogue and scene involvements. Margie is a true representative of all the women who work persistently hard for a living and without complaint. She describes her character as “a middle-aged woman in a Goodwill outfit.” She’s not quite the heroine; she makes racist comments about who her boss is dating, who’s employed at Dr. Mike’s and the “lace curtain Irish.” She knows what buttons to push and can be combative. Yet, she can be kind.

Despite the length of the second act, there is a remarkable build of tension between Margie, Mike and Kate. This is a play about confinement and escape, and about retelling our own hopeful stories in order to hide from them. And, of course, a bingo game ends the play, solving the problem at least of the day.

• Regina Belt-Daniels has been involved with theater ever since Sister Mary Justia cast her as a rather bossy Mother Goose in the first-grade play. She has directed more than 40 productions for TownSquare Players, WMTC, RCLPC, McHenry County College’s Black Box Theatre, Elgin Theatre Company, Independent Players, Steel Beam Theatre and Raue Center For The Arts.

IF YOU GO

• WHAT: “Good People” presented by iambe theatre ensemble

• WHERE: Elgin Art Showcase, 164 Division St., eighth floor, Elgin

• WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays through Nov. 10

• COST: $22

• INFORMATION: tinyurl.com/iambeGoodPeople, iambetheatreensemble.com