Vera Joseph (Rosemary Prinz) and her grandson, Leo Joseph-Connell (Robbie Tann), get reacquainted after years apart. Photo by Sandy Underwood.
4000 MILES presented by Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park through March 9.
Veteran actress Rosemary Prinz shines as feisty grandmother Vera Joseph is this cute and offbeat comedic play. Robbie Tann also does well as Leo, but there were times he came off more caricature than character. Prinz and Tann have a believable relationship as grandmother and grandson. Opening night, Tann’s scenes with the other two actresses (Adina Verson as Bec & Christine Lin as Amanda/Lily) still felt a bit rough around the edges.
The set design by James Kronzer is well done. Director Blake Robinson’s blocking does have the actors side by side on the couch a bit too often for my tastes. It creates less-than ideal sight-lines for the four seats against the upstage wall of the side sections.
I also found the staging of the final scene to be a bit stagnant. For a show about continuing to move forward, it felt strange to have it end with the characters simply sitting on the couch.
Overall, a laugh out loud, funny script with some nice touching moments. Rosemary Prinz steals the show and our hearts.
My rating: 3.75 out of 5
Behind the Curtain Cincinnati 