“Good People” Pits Boston Poor vs. Rich in Hilarious Class Warfare—at Altarena
Marsha van Broek (Dottie), Alicia Rydman (Margaret), Nicole Naffaa (Jean). Photos by Grizzly De Haro.
David Lindsay-Abaire’s Comedy Exposes Cost of Irish Workers’ Pride
by Mary Lou Herlihy
In “Good People,” the shockingly real dialogue and spot-on accents transport us to South Boston, observing “Southies” in their natural habitat. Juicy gossip and good intentions raise the stakes in this tale of Pride versus Progress. Our sympathies are whiplashed back and forth as we try to figure out who ARE the ‘good people’ here.
In cheerful green Dollar Store vests, Stevie (pitch-perfect Samuel Barksdale) sheepishly chastises Margie (extraordinary Alicia Rydman) for her tardiness. Margie counters by pitifully offering to cut her pathetic hourly pay, revealing the depth of her desperation.
Director Russell Kaltschmidt expertly combines perfect pacing with brilliant actors to produce theater magic.
Playwright David Lindsay-Abaire’s hilarious Southie characters explode with Boston grit and grist. We laugh uproariously, and cringe, too, as we get to know a cash-strapped single Mom, her wacky landlady, her feisty friend, her befuddled young boss, and one successful Southie who escaped poverty.
Alicia Rydman (Margaret), Sam Barksdale (Steve)
Margie (with a hard G) and Mike (sensitive Daron Jennings) are “Southies,” childhood friends from way back. But Mike became an up-scale doctor. How did he escape the ‘hood? And why did Margie get stuck working at the Dollar Store for $9.20/hour? “Good People” explores CHOICES made, willingly or not, with loving wit.
After being estranged for decades, Margie’s desperation leads her back to Mike. The stage is set for high stakes drama and Altarena’s “Good People” DELIVERS.
We squirm as Margie tries to fit into Dr. Mike Dillon’s world. She arrives at his suburban home in a fitted green dress to impress the ‘rich people.’ But her “Lace Curtain Irish” disguise soon crumbles. Margie’s rage and retribution are loaded and dangerous.
As Margie, Rydman draws us into her messy, edgy life. She’s barely surviving, but there’s more to this waggish and scrappy Mom. Margie’s the sole support for her disabled grown daughter Joyce—who remains unseen. The undertone of tragedy looms.
Dr. Mike, the “Southie” who escaped, subtly embodies the trappings of success. But Margie’s sudden reappearance threatens his carefully constructed life. When Margie shows up at his office, you can feel the chill under the “friendliness” in their brilliantly modulated comic encounter.
When we meet Mike’s beautiful young wife, Kate (elegant Rezan Asfaw), a sophisticated Black professor at B.U., she and Mike are arguing about marriage counseling. Margie shows up unexpectedly, and Kate assumes she’s the caterer—an embarrassing mistake. But Kate graciously welcomes Margie into their home, hoping to discover secrets from Mike’s past—a sure recipe for laughs and disaster.
Daron Jennings (Mike), Rezan Asfaw (Kate), Alicia Rydman (Margaret)
Back at Bingo in the church basement, Southies dream of winning big. Landlady Dottie (hilarious Marsha van Broek) keeps us in stitches as she claims the church ladies give her dud Bingo cards! And Margie’s good buddy Jean (enthralling Nicole Naffaa) deliciously dishes about generations of Southies, lighting up her scenes.
“Good People” shines a sympathetic light on South Boston and its fiercely prideful people. With generations of Irish Catholic families, low-paying factory jobs, rampant poverty, and knee-jerk racism, “Southie” mirrors urban American neighborhoods where struggling minorities are victimized and vilified.
Altarena’s thrilling comedy is so exciting it’s worth a second visit—a rare treat!
Marsha van Broek (Dottie), Alicia Rydman (Margaret), Nicole Naffaa (Jean), Sam Barksdale (Steve)
“Good People” by David Lindsay-Abaire, directed by Russell Kaltschmidt, set design by Tom Curtin, costumes by Christine U’Ren, lighting by Stephanie Anne Johnson, sound by James Goode, props by Jenna Forder, dialect coaching by Sarah Elizabeth Williams, at Altarena Playhouse, Alameda, California.
Info: altarena.org - to September 21, 2025.
Cast: Alicia Rydman, Samuel Barksdale, Marsha van Broek, Nicole Naffaa, Daron Jennings, and Rezan Asfaw.