Kitchen Sink Drama Made Newly Relevant

Kitchen sink drama might make a comeback, judging from “Good Thing,” a gripping new play by Jessica Goldberg, produced in the Taper, Too series at the Actors’ Gang.

Much of the play is literally set in two contrasting kitchens. But the phrase “kitchen sink drama” usually connotes more than the setting; it suggests a realistic look at the domestic travails of people who aren’t very high on the economic ladder. “Good Thing” qualifies.

The reason Goldberg, who is in her 20s, may help revivify the genre is that four of her six characters are slightly younger than she is, and they appear and sound authentic enough to attract theatergoers of her generation--the group of people often considered the least likely to see a play.

But “Good Thing” is not a generational screed. The other two characters, in their 40s, also bear the stamp of truth. And ultimately the characters’ frustrations and hopes boil down to a timeless concern--the quest for meaning in a world that often seems at odds with that quest. It’s probably no accident that several lines in the play sound like a homage to Chekhov, despite the trappings of contemporary music, clothes and language.

On one side of the stage is the kitchen where Dean (Hamish Linklater), his younger brother Bobby (John Cabrera) and Dean’s very pregnant wife, Mary (Karina Logue), hang out--that is, when Mary isn’t locked up in her room, in the family’s attempt to keep her away from the drugs that could harm her fetus. Bobby, with no such concerns for himself, is an intractable addict. Although he’s the one who brings the drugs into the house, he’s also Mary’s gatekeeper during the day, while Dean is off earning a living at some unstated and unsatisfying job.

On the other side of the stage is the much neater kitchen of a couple in their 40s, John (Francis Guinan) and Nancy (Shannon Holt), both of whom are high school guidance counselors. Married 20 years and childless, they’re preparing a long-delayed vacation, but we soon learn that they’ve had problems of their own.

Linking the two households is Liz (Megan Austin Oberle), who--a few years ago in high school--thought that John was the coolest counselor ever, and that Dean was her best friend and possibly future lover. But Liz left town to go to Ithaca College. Now, after a spell of unspecified trouble, she’s back, working in a shoe store, living with her impossible offstage mother and eager to connect again with Dean, unaware that he’s now married and will soon be a father.

Goldberg weaves her characters together with an assured narrative hand. Each act culminates in emotional fireworks--first in one kitchen and then the other. Yet the characters also have moments of rueful humor and quiet reflection, spoken in language that retains the profane flavor of contemporary speech but occasionally rises to a level of unobtrusive, unassuming lyricism. The only small question of plausibility is whether Liz would have been so uninformed about what happened to her best friend after she left for college, but this is easily overlooked.

Neel Keller’s staging supports the play well. The entire cast is strong, and the roles are of virtually equal importance. Set designer Jason Adams created a slice of Liz’s shoe store and her bedroom in addition to the two kitchens, and John Zalewski’s sound design helps propel the action.

Although the ending is somewhat upbeat, Goldberg entertains no notions of happily ever after. All good things must come to an end--but it looks as if that’s not about to happen to Goldberg’s writing career any time soon.

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“Good Thing,” Taper, Too at Actors’ Gang, 6209 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood. Tuesdays-Sundays, 8 p.m.; Saturdays-Sundays, 2 p.m. Ends June 9. $20. (213) 628-2772. Running time: 2 hours.

John Cabrera: Bobby

Francis Guinan: John Roy

Shannon Holt: Nancy Roy

Hamish Linklater: Dean

Karina Logue: Mary

Megan Austin Oberle: Liz

Written by Jessica Goldberg. Directed by Neel Keller. Set by Jason Adams. Costumes by Christal Weatherly. Lighting by Rand Ryan. Sound by John Zalewski. Production stage manager Victoria A. Gathe.