“Good People” Packs a Wallop–at Altarena
Daron Jennings (Mike), Rezan Asfaw (Kate), Alicia Rydman (Margaret). Photos by Grizzly De Haro.
David Lindsay-Abaire Pits the Haves Against the Have Nots
by Lynne Stevens
Altarena’s superb cast effortlessly unrolls *Good People* with its class differences boldly on display. Is life made up of good choices or lucky breaks? Life is complicated, and we all try to do the best we can.
We open with Margaret (dynamic Alicia Rydman) trying to distract her manager Steve (adorable Sam Barksdale) from doing what she knows is inevitable—firing her from Dollar Tree for being late.
The drawn-out Boston “aaah” grabs you right away, placing us firmly in South Boston. Alicia Rydman’s Margaret is mouthy and says anything to wiggle out of a serious conversation. She has no censor and blurts whatever is on her mind.
With a handicapped daughter, Joyce, who can’t be left alone, her options for work are limited. Playing bingo with her friends, Margaret wonders what she is supposed to do. Her landlady Dottie (hilarious Marsha van Broek) still fixates on rent, feigning righteousness to cover missing her commitment to watch Joyce.
Conversation drifts to old high school acquaintances, and Margie’s tough best friend Jean (practical Nicole Naffaa) brings up Mike Dillon (smooth Daron Jennings)—now a successful doctor living comfortably in Chestnut Hill. Jean later suggests strong-arming help from Mike by claiming he’s the father.
When Margaret shows up at Mike’s office, their layered banter dredges up the past. In a dispute about strength of character or lucky breaks, Mike insists her life reflects her choices, while she points out that Mike had support getting out of South Boston.
She calls him “good people,” later used sarcastically, and “lace-curtain Irish,” a term both endearing and belittling—suggesting that having parents who made sure you did your homework and a nice place to live was somehow a bad thing. Ultimately, she finagles an invitation to his birthday party, showing both desperation and resilience, grasping for opportunity where she can.
Alicia Rydman, Daron Jennings
At the party, we witness Mike wriggling out of seeing a marriage counselor with his wife Kate (elegant Rezan Asfaw). Mike has always edited his background when talking to Kate, joking about everything.
When Margie arrives, Kate mistakes her for the caterers returning for tables and chairs from the cancelled party. Kate tells her to stay and visit as Margie protests then relents. Mike has always been tight-lipped about his South Boston past, and Kate presses Margie for the truth.
As Margaret opens up, Mike becomes so outraged that we catch a glimmer of the “Mikey” who could be involved in a rumble. Margaret is stopped short of retaliation, but the tension leaves questions about honesty, survival, and identity.
With a simple but effective set, the acting shines. Go see this brilliant production and leave with lots to debate for days to come. I found it hard to take sides.
“Good People” by David Lindsay-Abaire, directed by Russell Haltschmidt, set design by Tim Curtin, lighting design by Stephanie Anne Johnson, sound by James Goode, costumes by Christine U’Ren, dialect coach Sarah Elizabeth Williams at Altarena Playhouse, Alameda.
Info: altarena.org – September 21, 2025
Cast: Alycia Rydman, Samuel Barksdale, Marsha van Broek, Nicole Naffaa, Daron Jennings, and Rezan Asfaw
