I NEED THAT Review

By Katrina “Kat” Reynolds

I NEED THAT presented by Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati through March 2nd. I attended the Opening Night performance. 

Kenneth Early as Foster, David Wohl as Sam & Maggie Lou Rader as Amelia. Photo by Ryan Kurtz.

This February, Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati brings us I Need That, a play by Cincinnati native (and award-winning playwright) Teresa Rebeck. Summarized as being a “play about a curmudgeonly father, his exasperated daughter, his patient best friend, and life’s messes”, I Need That is a humorous and heartfelt slice of life.

Ms. Rebeck, who also serves as the play’s director, does a wonderful job keeping the movement fresh and active which can be a tall order for a show that centers almost entirely around one room of a very cluttered home. The pacing of the show is steady, a must when one forgoes an intermission. But once you see the playing space, it will come as no surprise that the true stars of this production are Scenic & Lighting Designer Brian c. Mehring and Properties Curator/Design Assistant Shannon Rae Lutz (pronounced “loots” like “boots”). Sam, our lovable lead character, is facing the dilemma of code violations for his home, both inside and outside. The set has an ideal mix of being easily workable for the actors, but being properly stacked with so many things that it might raise your blood pressure. Mr. Mehring and Ms. Lutz excel in every aspect of the design and to quote my date for the evening, “I wonder if the prop room is empty.”

As most of you may be able to tell from my reviews, I am a sucker for a good ensemble of performing artists – and this show delivers. The trio of performing artists telling us this story have a palpable chemistry which serves the text well. David Wohl, no doubt a “that guy” of the acting world, plays Sam with an expertise few could match. A veteran of both stage and screen, Mr. Wohl is effortless in his quick wit, his frank way of speaking, and his gruff but apparent love for both his daughter and best friend. Without a doubt, he is an absolute treasure in this story of other’s people’s trash. (Reviewer’s note: I was fortunate enough to meet Mr. Wohl and chat with him at a staged reading of a Maggie Lou original script some weeks ago and I can tell you he is a delight. Fortunately, I did not tell him how cool it was that he’s in one of my guilty pleasure films, Troop Beverly Hills – but it is pretty awesome.)

Kenneth Early, an actor known his powerful presence on stage and off, portrays the role of Foster, Sam’s best buddy. Foster ends up being an even more complicated character than you originally think (no spoilers here, but I did have a panic as things began to come out); fortunately, Mr. Early handles all of the character’s facets with grace and sensitivity. We should be so lucky to have a “Foster” in our lives.

Last but certainly not least is Sam’s daughter Amelia played by Maggie Lou Rader. The character of Amelia has a tough road: she tries to be an attentive daughter to her widowed father while still trying to pursue a satisfying adult life of her own. Ms. Rader shows us some beautiful layers in Amelia’s frustration and “tough love” coupled with a sweet vulnerability when she’s exhausted her emotional wall.

Coming in at around an hour and 40 mins with no intermission, I Need That is an enjoyable journey. There are so many relatable topics and not to mention qualities of the people into whose lives we are invited: love, loss, humour, friendship, loyalty. I highly recommend making the trip to OTR to see this master class of acting with the added bonus of playing your own game of “I Spy” with the set.

Click here for more information about the production.