End Days is a can't miss show

by Matthew Falduto

Riverside - September eleventh has had a lasting impact on our country. That impact has not been explored through the arts as deeply as one might expect; it appears there is still a lot trepidation about venturing into that subject. Fortunately, Riverside Theatre has brought to the stage an excellent show that explores the impact of 9/11 (and so much more) in a humorous and thoughtful way. End Days by Deborah Zoe Laufer opened last week to sell out crowds and for good reason. This is easily one of the finest shows I have seen on the Riverside stage.

The story focuses on the effect Nelson, an overly eager and optimistic teenager who loves Elvis, has on the Stein family: mother Sylvia, who recently came to a revelation that Jesus is her savior; father Arthur, who hasn't gotten out of his pajamas since narrowly escaping the destruction of the Twin Towers three years earlier; and Rachel, the 16-year-old daughter who dons Goth makeup to keep people away.

The four principal actors created amazingly complex and real characters. Ryan Westwood as Nelson in particular lit up the stage. Nelson is a difficult character to portray because it would be easy to go over the top with the optimism and innocence in the belief that that is necessary for the laughs. Westwood seems to understand this and creates a multi-faceted boy desperate for love and a family. Is it a little improbable that a teenager would wear an Elvis jumpsuit everywhere and convince himself that his classmates are just kidding around when they continually throw milk cartons at him? Yes, it is. But Westwood's willingness to jump completely into the role and believe in Nelson allows us to as well.

Arthur, portrayed by Jim Van Valen, begins the play in the fetal position on the kitchen table. Incapable of dealing with the 9/11 tragedy at the beginning of the play, it is Arthur's journey that is the most poignant. Van Valen is simply amazing as he moves Arthur from a hopeless fog into the bright lights of a new day, using his facial expressions, his voice and his posture to show this transformation. One of the best moments in the play is when Arthur helps Nelson learn the Hebrew song he must sing for her Bar Mitzvah.

Both Jody Hovland as Sylvia and Laura Tatar as Rachel do an excellent job creating believable characters. Tim Budd creates two characters: Jesus and Stephen Hawking. These characters personify religion and science. Sylvia uses religion as her way of coping with the world; Rachel discovers science. Their journeys mirror each other and Budd's characters aid the women as they move through these journeys. Budd wonderfully imbues his Jesus with kindness with a dashing smile. And his Stephen Hawking is really quite amazing, computerized voice and all.

There is really nothing to criticize in this show. The set is great, the acting is phenomenal, and the direction is economical and smart. This is a show you simply must experience. It runs through February 21. Tickets are available online.

(photo by Bob Goodfellow)


Matthew has a Bachelor's degree in English from the University of Iowa. He has directed, acted in, and produced theater in the Iowa City area for over ten years. He has worked with the Iowa City Community Theatre, City Circle, Rage Theatrics and Dreamwell, of which he is a founder. Two of his plays have been produced in the Iowa City area. In another brief life, he also worked as a technical writer.