Last Sunday, I experienced a most remarkable, memorable and wonderful performance by the fine actress and writer (and the Venice Beachead collective member), Lisa Robins. The one-woman play is called “Committed?,” and deals with (among other things) Lisa’s reaction to her brother’s suicide.  This show is full of pieces-within-the-piece surprises that showcase her dramatic focus, her lithe dancing body moves, and a judicious use of a few props and stage levels. It’s lively, tragic and elevating. I gathered some comments of friends I saw at Hollywood’s Matrix Theatre – and present them here:

Regan Kibbee & Jason Saville: “While one might expect the topic to be heavy or depressing, we found the play hit many notes. It was uplifting, eloquent, thoughtful, honest, funny, entertaining, healing and inspirational – a tour de force!”

Mitch Leigh: “An intimate journey through her relationship with her family, her brother and her practice of Judaism before and after the tragic loss of her dear younger brother to suicide. The play dramatically underscores the impact of suicide on those close to the loved ones. It is refreshing how it seeks to address and go beyond getting buried in remorse and regret trying to figure out what we or anyone should have seen and could have done. While there is the religious/cultural proscription to sit Shiva for a week, and other such prescribed behaviours, the play helped underline that grieving for a loved one never truly ends. One hopes that the love and the grief help shape and guide our hearts, minds and souls to find greater meaning, purpose and appreciation for the love we shared and the life we have before us. The play touches on the tropes of suicide being selfish, it also noted that they were just that and do little to help any survivor such as myself to move forward in a meaningful way.  We all have our own private dances with our own demons, and some of us are driven to the abyss by this. Those of us who live on with these memories; many live with regrets and sorrows. Lisa’s brother had a history of alcohol and substance abuse and attended AA meetings. It seems fitting to be mindful of the messages and lessons for those in Al-Anon; that by and large, though we may strive to be present and helpful, we cannot control others.”

Shep Stern: “A tour de force of acting prowess and power. We all know Lisa, but few of us have ever seen her running at full throttle artistic mastery like this. She lived this play and worked and reworked it to a fine point.  A stellar example of the true artist’s work ethic at its apex. When she seems to quit, to want to walk out “get stoned and see the good band playing tonight at Canter’s,” she looked right at Andrea and me and I bought it 100%. I thought she was walking out, and turned to her close friends in the room to walk with her.  It was a truly sobering moment. We talked about it for hours after the show, which was complete with a spot-on, deep insight perfectly nailed review by our guru, Rabbi Naomi Levy. Lisa has always been a goddess, and tonight she set the universe aglow with a profound depiction of the search for answers to the ultimate human questions. Brava! I could go on and on…”

(Suzy: I had the same experience…I felt that Lisa looked at ME and decided the whole thing should be dropped then and there! I think she managed to make everyone feel an intimate connection with her at that moment.)

The show has been extended: “COMMITTED?” runs through Nov 9, 2024, at the Rogue Machine in the Matrix Theatre, 7657 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046. To reserve the tickets, go to ROGUE MACHINE THEATRE | On Our Stage. The show is 75 minutes-no intermission. Post show talkbacks follow every performance.