Dealing with Grief… Theatre-by-Night Productions Presents “Rabbit Hole”

Grief is perhaps the most pervasive of all human experiences; at some point or other in all our lives we will grieve for the loss of a loved one. Yet inspite of its universality, grieving remains the most intensely personal emotional journey any of us will ever take. Rabbit Hole, by David Lindsay-Abaire, explores one of life’s most powerful events with the mixture of deep humanity, compassion, and wit that won it the Pulitzer Prize, and a nomination for a Tony, in 2006. Rabbit Hole will be presented to Scranton audiences by Theatre-by-Night Productions, August 15 though 18 at Performance Space at the Hotel Jermyn, 326 Spruce Street, Second Floor, Downtown Scranton.

Billy Joe Herbert leads the effort to mount this astounding play, and is featured in the role of Howie. A graduate of King’s College, he has been acting locally for the past 22 years. He says of the play, that explores the adjustments required of a couple following the death of their four-year old child in an automobile accident, “When you hear what the play is about, you think that you are in for a night of depression, but you soon find yourself laughing inspite of yourself. You realize that people deal with grief, or try to help others deal with grief, in so many ways.” The characters become your friends, and you live through their efforts to find peace with this terribly difficult situation, in a way that binds you to them — and to your own memories of grief — in a very healthy way. Rabbit Hole achieves what theatre is designed to do; provide catharsis, the purging of emotion through the witnessing of similar emotion in others.

Also involved in the production are Tony LaRusso, who directs, and area actors Dina Piepoli, Sal Infantino, and Betsy Seaforth.

Rabbit Hole plays August 15 through 18 at 8 p.m. at the (air conditioned) Performance Space the Hotel Jermyn, 326 Spruce Street, second floor, Downtown Scranton. Tickets are $15 general and $10 for students and seniors, and can be purchased in advance by calling 570-558-1515 or online at www.psathj.info.