It’s Christmas Day. A family get together is about to go down. Two adult brothers bring their significant others over to mom and dad’s house — sounds lovely. What could go wrong? As it turns out: plenty.
“Rules For Living,” running through Jan. 4 at Round House Theatre in Bethesda, Maryland, will make you wince, cringe and wince some more. And, yes, you’ll laugh in between. It might also cause you to nod knowingly at some of the perhaps familiar craziness transpiring on stage.
There are dark family secrets, forbidden love, inappropriate actions and language, sexual references, alcohol consumption, jealousy, denial, unfulfilled careers and more alcohol — you get the idea.
The play, written by Sam Holcroft, an award-winning British playwright, debuted at the National Theatre in London in 2015. Round House Artistic Director Ryan Rilette helms this production, the show’s American premiere.
The “rules” refers to a clever staging and narrative device that dictates what the characters say and, more importantly, what they really mean. Adding more details would spoil the fun of seeing it for yourself.
Whether you like the show or not may depend on how much of what you see on stage hits home. It’s a dark comedy, but it gets pretty real at times.
Feeling sympathy for any of the six main characters is difficult to muster. They’re all complicated and pretty messed up. Then again, aren’t we all? The younger brother Matthew’s girlfriend Carrie, played by Dani Stoller, says at one point, “something isn’t right here.” She wasn’t kidding.
Adam, played by Jonathan Feuer, steals the show with his many funny voices, unflattering nicknames for family members and colorful rants.
The show holds your attention, thanks to its crisp repartee and plenty of tension and conflict. It’s definitely R-rated, so leave the really young ones at home.
The first act sets the scene and tone nicely, whetting your appetite for the big meal and finish.
The jam-packed second act does not disappoint featuring a memorable game of charades, serious revelations and a dinner scene you’ll not soon forget. Let’s just say, things get pretty rowdy at the Round House.
If you’re looking for something to take you away from the holiday blues and perhaps your own family dysfunction, Rules For Living might be the perfect thing NOT to go see. If you’re searching for a Hallmark, feel-good, rom-com, this ain’t it folks.
But if you want a well written, well cast and well staged play that skewers the family dynamic, then this might be your cup of tea — or vinegar.
After Tuesday’s performance in front of a packed house, a patron in the lobby was overheard saying, “I always thought my family was dysfunctional, but nothing close to that.”
“Rules For Living” at Round House Theatre, at 4545 East-West Highway in Bethesda, runs approximately two and a half hours including an intermission. Limited tickets for remaining shows of its run, which ends Jan. 4, are available online.
Joe Yasharoff is a longtime news/sports/entertainment reporter and producer in the D.C. area. He teaches sports journalism at the University of Maryland and has won 12 Emmy Awards.