Reviewed by Tony Annicone

The third play of The Players’ 110 season is the 1977 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning “The Shadowbox” by Michael Cristofer.Three terminally ill patients and their families participate in a psychological inquiry into their end-of-life experiences. “The Shadow Box” is a journey of discovery into the genuinely lasting aspects of life. It is set on the grounds of a California hospital where some of the cottages have been set aside as a hospice for terminally ill patients. One playing area serves the three dying people: Joe, a working-class man joined by his wife and son; Brian, a writer there with his lover, Mark, and joined by his ex-wife, Beverly; and Felicity, an aging woman tended by her doting daughter, Agnes. An unseen psychiatrist known as the interviewer, draws them out and imparts wisdom to them with the five stages of dealing with death, denial, anger, bargaining, and depression, so they can better understand their situation at this point in their lives. Director Jeff Sullivan blends the dramatic and comic moments together splendidly. This well directed and well acted play receives a standing ovation on a job well done.

Read more “THE SHADOWBOX – The Players, Barker Playhouse, Providence, RI”