In a word: Wow.
"Eat Your Heart Out" is a beautiful script dealing with some big issues in an intimate way. You get to see the hopes, dreams, fears, frustrations, and connections of so many people in a clear, humorous, touching and heartbreaking way. Really - wow.
Let me talk about the acting - these roles were complex, though on the surface they may have appeared stereotypical at first read. Each actor imbued their words with the resonance of lifelong understanding. Even the teenager roles were filled with the life experience of that age - not sugar-coated or glossed over or 'after-school' special learning moments. Instead they were expressed with a deeply felt understanding of self-hate, social frustration, growing pains, and daily risk that happens that final year of high school. The marriage in chaos was also portrayed with a realness of the love/hate, hope/fear, joy/despair of what could be and what is and what they both want. The mother on a first date after dealing with the stresses of work & home shows the brave face we put on for the world, but also the cracks that we don't dare show until they force their way to the surface. Her counterpart has the difficult job of simultaneously being attracted & intrigued but also awkward & unsure as he tries to navigate the first-date waters, too.
Painful truths come out and I teared up more than once, but the tone of the script and pace of this production keep things light enough to not feel like a sucker punch to the emotional gut or a relentless stream of despair. People in very real situations deal with their circumstances with humor, grace, & the occasional outburst of genuine emotion that puts everyone else a bit on edge. A wonderful night of theatre that I highly recommend to anyone in the area!