Goodman: Holiday
Christiana Clark, Bryce Gangel, Luigi Sottile, Jessie Fisher
Goodman Theatre Presents HOLIDAY Review - Realizing What’s Important
TLDR: Following an upper-class family’s interpersonal conflicts, Holiday shows how different members of the family value money and connections differently. Different scenic designs make us feel the coldness from one part of the family and the warmth and love in another until everyone’s bottled up feelings come pouring out.
Bryce Gangel, Rammel Chan
You Think Your Family Is Bad?
The curtain rolls up to reveal a stark white living room. Everything is a tasteful shade of cream or off-white with a pop of muted color coming from the furniture. The tall doors at the center of the room slide open dramatically revealing a figure in a bold colored dress. She walks quickly over to the window and throws it open, breathing the fresh air in deeply. As she exits to go check on lunch, her sister marches in next and immediately closes the window in disbelief that anyone would have it open.
Now we see the Seton family is already full of contradictions. We’re introduced to the three siblings, Linda, Julia, and Ned (Bryce Gangel, Molly Griggs, and Wesley Taylor), each very different from the others.
One a washed up, former party boy in and out of rehab.
One an artist that moved out to Brooklyn to teach kids.
One following in their father’s footsteps of being a titan of industry.
And the man of the hour himself, father and patriarch, Edward Seton, played by Jordan Lage, refuses to believe that anyone’s weakness is a choice. They each have their own relationship to the family name, their father, and his expectations that come with it.
Everything Designed To Conflict
Like a lot of plays from the 1920s-30s, the first act of Holiday is doing the heavy lifting of setting everything up for us. We see the character personalities, why we’re all gathered, and the tension ever present within this family. We have everything already in opposition and feeling like the thread holding everything together is going to snap. And when Luigi Sottile as Julia’s fiance, Johnny enters the scene, it feels like a breath of fresh air. He gets along with each of the siblings in his own way and even manages to charm Edward. We feel like he’s either going to be the thing that brings this family together or break them apart.
The set design by Walt Spangler helps tell this story as we get the juxtaposition of the main living area - stark white, clean lines, modern furniture - to the siblings’ former playroom - bold colors, artwork, and cozy. When we enter this other room, it feels like we enter the heart of the house and the real emotions come out. Everybody’s real feelings are set free and now all that’s left to do is deal with the aftermath.
Molly Griggs, Wesley Taylor, Bryce Gangel, Luigi Sottile, Jordan Lage
The After Party Thoughts
Like any play written about upper class society people, there’s always a tendency (for me at least) to go into the show thinking “Oh great, another play about rich people's problems.” So while this work technically is about rich people and their problems, it questions them, their values, and how you care about someone. There’s a genuineness and realness to the character’s emotions that these actors bring. So while it may start off as another rich family not acknowledging their privileges, it turns deeper as the mirror turns on them to look at themselves.
Also the backstage crew needs a shout-out for this one. I didn’t time the exact break in between set changes, but THEY CHANGED AN ENTIRE ROOM in what felt like under two minutes. And I was not the only one who gasped when the curtain came up again with the reveal. So a round of applause for that scene change which I’m sure was executed with NASCAR pit crew precision and timing.
I digress, overall if you’re not a fan of high society plays or plays that are about family and relationship drama, this wouldn’t be the show for you. However, if you’re all about human emotions, interpersonal conflicts, and a little bit of a romantic drama, Holiday would be a great fit for you!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Luigi Sottile, Molly Griggs, Bryce Gangel
When
Now through March 8, 2025
Where
Goodman Theatre
170 N Dearborn St.
Chicago, IL 60601
Runtime: 2hrs 15min, including an intermission
Tickets
$34+
Tickets can be purchased by calling the box office at 312.443.3800 or through the Goodman Theatre website
Photos
Todd Rosenberg
Find Allie and The After Party featured on Theatre in Chicago
Wesley Taylor
CAST
Rammel Chan (Walter)
Christiana Clark (Nikka Washburn)
Alejandra Escalante (Laura Cram)
Jessie Fisher (Susan Feld)
Bryce Gangel (Linda Seton)
Molly Griggs (Julia Seton)
Erik Hellman (Seton Cram)
Jordan Lage (Edward Seton)
Luigi Sottile (Johnny Case)
Wesley Taylor (Ned Seton)
Taylor Marie Blim (Understudy Julia Seton)
Theo Gyra (Understudy Johnny Case / Seton Cram)
Tiffany Renee Johnson (Understudy Nikka Washburn)
Dina Monk (Understudy Susan Feld / Laura Cram)
Ron E. Rains (Understudy Edward Seton)
Kyle Ringley (Understudy Ned Seton)
Hannah Ruwe (Understudy Linda Seton)
Thomas B. Tran (Understudy Walter)
CREATIVE
Richard Greenberg (Adaptor)
Philip Barry (Original Playwright)
Robert Falls (Director)
Lauren Port, CSA (Casting Director)
Neena Arndt (Dramaturg)
Nikki Blue (Production Stage Manager)
Krista Kanderski (Stage Manager)
Richard Woodbury (Composer and Sound Designer)
Kaye Voyce (Costume Designer)
Amith Chandrashaker (Lighting Designer)
Walt Spangler (Set Designer)
Toranika Washington (Intimacy and Waltz Consultant)
Malkia Stampley (Line Producer)
Hannah Todd (Assistant Director)
Jojo Wallenberg (Script Production Assistant)