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These are the kind of men mothers warn their daughters about, to paraphrase a line from this entertaining new play about guys behaving badly.
WE GOT LUCKY
Theatre Review by SANDRO MONETTI

Bed-hopping and boozing are the main preoccupations of the carousing characters – until some very grown up situations force them to question their conduct.

The story centers around the bromance between life and soul of the party Aaron (an energetic and edgy Matthew Gilliam) and the more sensitive and sensible Brad (a solid Allen C Gardner, who also wrote and directed the show). Their relationship is similar to that of Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau in cult film, Swingers, which seems like a big influence here.

Matthew Gilliam and Drew Paslay

Over the span of nine years, girlfriends come and go and their friendship is challenged but survives and ultimately thrives. Then just when it seems the play is over, a sudden plot twist out of nowhere changes everything.

Kristin Ford and Matthew Gilliam

The play could have been even better by cutting a couple of the early scenes, when all the drinking, swearing and dating bordered on repetitive, and by giving more dialogue to the most interesting actor in the cast, the underused Drew Paslay who makes the most of a small role as a quirky junkie.
But for the most part, you’ll feel you got really lucky by choosing to hang out with these guys.

Gabe Arredondo, Allen C Gardner and Matthew Gilliam

CAST

Matthew Gilliam, Allen C Gardner, Kirstin Ford, Kelly Whitaker, Gabe Arredondo, Drew Paslay, Melanie Reif.

CREDITS
Produced by – Gabe Arredondo & Allen C Gardner
Stage Manager/House Manager – Steve Harrison
Publicity – Philip Sokoloff
Presented by – Open Dialogue Productions

Kristin Ford and Allen C Gardner

WE GOT LUCKY
Written and Directed by Allen C Gardner
Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 8pm until November 3. Also Thursday October 17 at 8.
At Working Stage Theater, 1516 N. Gardner St, West Hollywood, CA 9004
Tickets $20 at the door or $18 online from We Got Lucky – Tickets

Thespian Thoughts is a theatre review article on Actors Entertainment, a channel on the Actors Podcast Network, a Pepper Jay Production.

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