Laughter through tears

Patricia Zentilli and Genevieve Steele, both graduates of Dal's acting program, play sisters in Neptune Theatre's production of Rabbit Hole. (Scott Munn Photo)

The laughter took them all by surprise. After all, Rabbit Hole—centered on the impact of the accidental death of a small child by a teenage driver—isn’t exactly hilarious. In fact, a New York Times review of the Broadway production recommended bringing a life jacket because of the copious weeping it inspired.

“It totally shocked me (to hear laughing),” says Susan Stackhouse, the Dalhousie professor who plays the grandmother Nat in the Neptune Theatre production. “I was completely oblivious that this could happen. Really, there is more laughter than tears.”

As improbably funny as it is heartbreaking, Rabbit Hole is a riveting portrait of a family struggling with grief and loss. It is considered playwright David Lindsay-Abaire’s break through, first produced on Broadway in 2006 to rave reviews and earning him a Pulitzer Prize in 2007.

As a new father of a baby boy, Mr. Lindsay-Abaire—known more for absurdist comedies than realistic dramas—was determined to stretch himself by writing about what he feared the most. As he explained in an interview, “I guess the real impulse was my fear of what could happen to this person I love more than anyone else in the world.”

The play is written with poignant humor and finely observed detail, says Prof. Stackhouse, a voice and speech specialist and associate professor in the Department of Theatre. “It’s so honest and real,” she says. “It lifts you up but you don’t even realize it—that’s its power.”

Susan Stackhouse and Patricia Zentilli in Rabbit Hole. (Scott Munn photo)

Currently on sabbatical, Prof. Stackhouse is using the time away from the classroom to reconnect with the stage. Getting the role entailed taking part in general auditions, which she hasn’t done in years, and memorizing her lines, something that used to come much more easily.

“Auditioning, just that experience in itself, is so valuable to take back in the classroom. It shows I’m not just a talking head.”

Two former Dal acting students, Genevieve Steele and Patricia Zentilli, play her daughters in the play. “I do love that, working with students in a professional capacity once they graduate. It’s very exciting.”

Rabbit Hole continues on Neptune’s main stage until Sunday, March 28. Showtimes: March 24, 25, 26 at 8 p.m.; March 27, 4 and 8:30 p.m.; March 28, 2 p.m. Tickets range from $25 to $40. For info, call the box office at 429-7070.