Curtain Up Theater Review . . . by Camille Bounds: “Becky’s New Car” is a complicated comedy

Play about a woman facing middle age offers up escapist fun and relatable drama

“Becky Foster” (Denee Lewis) with her husband “Joe” (Robert Sean Campbell) in Limelight Theatre’s production of “Becky’s New Car.”
Photo by Elizabeth Mandel

By Camille Bounds

Limelight Theatre’s production of Steven Dietz’s comedic drama “Becky’s New Car” takes audiences on a delightful escapist adventure, while grounding the humor in relatable characters facing universal struggles. It opened Aug. 4 and runs to Aug. 27.

Centered around “Becky Foster” (a charming Denee Lewis), a middle-aged working mom whose humdrum life gets upended, the play explores what happens when she abandons responsibilities for excitement. She comes to  a point in her life where she has to make a decision, one that  takes her to a cross in the road of her life and that can change the lives of friends and family around her .

A handsome widower named “Walter Flood” (Rob Christopher, balancing affable charm and introspective melancholy) wanders into Becky’s car dealership workplace to make lavish purchases. The millionaire plans to buy  a large number of top-of-the-line models as gifts for his employees in his hugely successful company. Soon, he whisks Becky into a world of parties and luxury. But her attraction to Walter leaves her torn between her stifling daily grind and the exhilarating escape he offers.

Anchored by Lewis’ endearing performance, the cast shines in portraying the flawed yet likable characters orbiting Becky’s messy adventure. Her husband “Joe” (a warm Robert Sean Campbell) loves Becky devotedly despite her wandering eye. Their son Chris (Alex Topete) lives with  his parents in the  basement, while a grad student. Joe is supportive and gently attentive with an outlook on life that’s simple and easy to understand. He asks, ”What do you do if you are not sure?  The audience will feel warm and safe with his answers.

Meanwhile her grieving coworker “Steve” (Bruce Pember) offers another temptation, as both men represent different forms of comfort for Becky.

Throughout the show, Becky breaks through the fourth wall to give the audience her observations of life. In one of here aside, she tells us, “When a woman wants a new car, it means she wants a new life.” You may be asked to deliver a roll of toilet paper on your next visit to the bathroom — or offered a beer.

Playwright Dietz crafts an intimate, engaging experience through subtle theatrics that draw the audience into Becky’s dilemmas. Director Andrew Cummings smartly utilizes the Limelight’s thrust stage layout to make the show feel more personal and inclusive. The audience sits just feet from the actors, able to see every expression as Becky faces questions of morality and responsibility. Costume designer Lorraine and Kathie Bell  and lighting by Clara Shem-Tov and sound by Kris and Marianne Snook bring in well done details to an excellent production.

While escapist at its core, “Becky’s New Car” stays grounded through Dietz’s honest portrayals of ordinary people dealing with universal problems. Though Becky seems to “have it all” by the end, it comes at a cost, keeping the show from feeling like a fantastical fairy tale. Funny, heartfelt and slyly self-aware, Limelight’s production captures the spirit of Dietz’s work in delivering an entertaining human drama.

Click HERE to purchase tickets for “Becky’s New Car.”