THE SUM OF US
Honest Pint Theatre @ North Raleigh Arts and Creative Theatre
Through June 29
In 1990, David Stevens’ THE SUM OF US was ahead of the curve: a play where a central character’s gayness isn’t controversial to his family or friends. Unfortunately, that forward-thinking premise doesn’t entirely inoculate his script from editing and sentimental difficulties, or from questionable staging choices in this Honest Pint Theatre production.
Under David Henderson’s direction, John Honeycutt and Ryan Brock are strong as an Australian father and his grown son searching for companionship and baffled about how to do so. But we get restive as these homebodies spend too much time at their house during the thickest slices of this slice-of-life dramatic comedy.
Even with strong support from Sean A. Brosnahan and Renee Church Wimberley as potential romantic interests Greg and Joyce, a maudlin conclusionand a staging time of two hours without intermissionadd to our impatience with a work whose sterling intentions don’t hide all its flaws.
This article appeared in print with the headline “Family values”
