A right-to-die drama that is full of life

Almost entirely paralyzed by polio, a woman wrestles with the powers that be at her nursing home for her right to die. John Belluso’s “Gretty Good Time” at the Falcon Theatre deals with many of the same “right to die” issues addressed in “Whose Life Is It, Anyway?” some 30 years ago. But far from being a straightforward victim-against-system story, Belluso’s drama takes a more heightened and liquid approach to its painful subject, showing the vivid inner fantasy life into which its disabled protagonist retreats for respite and inspiration.

There’s no time wasted in whining for this heroine. The German-born Gretty (Ann Stocking) may only have limited movement in one hand, but her gimlet eyes and air of bellicose certainty intimidate even Dr. Caplin (Kip Gilman), the autocratic head of the nursing home where she lives. However, this is 1955, before the notion of patients’ rights has trickled down to the medical establishment, and Gretty is not a paying patient but a Social Security case. By alienating Caplin, Gretty risks being shipped upstate to spend her life in an iron lung.

Determined to die before that happens, Gretty flees into a haunting recurring dream in which she fraternizes with her increasingly real fantasy friend, Hideko (Jennifer Chu), a young Japanese girl disfigured in the Hiroshima blast. Together, the women discuss an escape plan -- a “backwards wind” that will blow them into the past, to the time before their afflictions.

Belluso’s lyrical tale hits a snag with the introduction of idealistic young Dr. Henry Foster (Jay Underwood). A Prince Charming of the most convenient caliber, Henry is willing to risk all to help Gretty die -- a bafflingly hazardous enterprise for which his particular motivations remain unclear. Despite Underwood’s low-key and sympathetic portrayal, Henry continues to function more as a plot contrivance than as an organic, believable character. Henry presents Gretty with a menu of life options besides suicide, including a slot in an independent living program in California. But persuading Gretty to abandon her scheme and embrace the future is an uphill battle.

Jeremy Pivnick’s wonderful lighting and Robert Arturo Ramirez’s evocative sound smoothly delineate the divide between Gretty’s waking life and fantasy world. Wisely underplaying Caplin’s nefarious aspects, Gilman shows great range in his humorous turn as early TV host Ralph Edwards in the “This Is Your Life” segments that punctuate the play. Pamela Gordon is typically assured as McCloud, a flamboyant nursing home patient and Gretty’s best friend. However, Chu’s overly childlike portrayal leaves us in some doubt as to her character’s age.

That’s a rare lapse in director Joe Regalbuto’s otherwise sensitive staging. Best known for his Emmy-nominated role as Frank on “Murphy Brown,” Regalbuto keeps the pacing tight and the characters richly sympathetic. Although her accent wavers between the Teutonic and the Celtic, Stocking delivers a robust and full-blooded performance that never panders to our sympathy. With acid intention, she etches purpose onto Belluso’s occasionally inchoate drama.

*

‘Gretty Good Time’

Where: Falcon Theatre, 4252 Riverside Drive, Burbank

When: Wednesdays-Saturdays,

8 p.m.; Sundays, 4 p.m.

Ends: May 4

Price: $25 to $37.50

Contact: (818) 955-8101

Running time: 2 hours