USA Bow For Step By Step Deals With Friendship, Loss, And Middle-Age Fears.

Kareema Khouri, Elizabeth Price and Anna Lise Jensen in Step By Step at Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre. Photo by Alberto Romeu.

By Raquel V. Reyes

Step by Step, making its American premiere at Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre, is a comedy with an all-female cast dealing with friendship, loss, and middle-age fears.

 The work by internationally acclaimed playwright Peter Quilter running through August 10 had its USA premiere this month after having been produced in Bulgaria, Croatia, Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Madrid.

With such a strong record, it is easy to see why director David Arisco chose it for Actors’ Playhouse. The opening night audience was bursting with laughter—a sure sign that the run will be a winning one.

The 90-minute one-act opens with a delicate rendition of “You’ve Got a Friend” sung by a gentle-voiced woman, setting the tone for this all-female cast play that deals with friendship, loss, and middle-age fears.

As the lights go to full on the sand-colored, boulder-dotted one-piece set, Sophie (Elizabeth Price), Paula (Kareema Khouri) and Monica (Anna Lise Jensen) walk on wearing hiking boots and camping backpacks. The trio begins playful bickering about each other’s ego-centricities.

Sophie is obsessively fastidious about how her gear is packed. Paula is not a nature girly. And Monica, narcissistically reveling in her fiancé’s besottedness, is disengaged from the planning of her impending wedding. The audience soon learns that these longtime pals are at the start of a two-day hill climb to honor the recent loss of a fourth friend.

All three actors give strong individual performances. But it takes a few scenes for the believability of the friendship to gel. Sophie is a white lesbian. Paula is an African-American with stereotypical sass. And Monica is the classic pretty, popular girl. The script omits the how and when the friends bonded, information that would have helped the audience buy in earlier.

Despite that, the talent of the actors wins one over. Elizabeth Price consistently shines. Anna Lise Jensen steals the spotlight in a meltdown/tantrum scene that flattens their tent, causing the audience to cackle in hysterics. Kareema Khouri delivers Paula’s zingers with perfect timing.

The comedy progresses in classic form with big gestures and high-volume voices. Most of the humor is of the TV sit-com variety, except for one joke told by Paula that is out of place in this feel-good women-positive story. A joke featuring prostitutes feels dated and misogynistic, and leaves one to wonder if it came before or after the various translations of the play. What is certain is that Paula and the actor deserve better.

Recognition goes to Lighting Designer Eric Nelson for the realistic nighttime lighting. His mastery of the craft gave the evening scenes their needed mood. Sound Designer Reidar Sorensen’s light touch with insect, wind and bird sounds added just enough wilderness to the hiking path setting. A sparse set can be boring, but thanks to Scenic Designer Brandon M. Newton that was not the case. The multi-level playing area allowed for a variety of placements. The wispy grass and sand-colored rocks anchored the setting as an arid and well-worn trail.

The Actors’ Playhouse production of Step by Step delivers laughs. The audience is sure to walk away feeling good. It is the perfect outing for a girls’ night out and for book club besties. Catch this warm-hearted comedy before it closes.

Step by Step plays through Aug. 10 at Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre, 280 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables. Wednesday-Saturday 8 p.m.; Wednesday 2 p.m.; Sunday 3 p.m.. Tickets $50-$105. Go to actorsplayhouse.org or call (305) 444-9293.

Raquel V. Reyes is the author of the award-winning Caribbean Kitchen Mystery series. Her latest novel is Barbacoa, Bomba, and Betrayal. Find her across social media as @LatinaSleuths and at www.LatinaSleuths. com.