common grace | responses

"GO see Common Grace at Pacific Theatre. An intensely human story, lovingly realized and beautifully acted. Seeing such a polished new play and such transparent performances is a too-rare treat. Give yourself the gift of walking alongside people you have never met yet know better than your own image." Angela Konrad

"What a brilliant piece of theatre. The story, the characters, the performances, all stellar. The characters felt familiar to me, three dimensional and not dichotomous good/evil, they were real imperfect humans. The performances were true and nuanced and so well performed that the people I know disappeared very quickly leaving me happily surfing along in the story with the characters. I have now filed Shauna Johannesen in my "artists I love" organizer in the section with Lucia labelled "Awesome women writers who PT has had a hand in sharing with the world". Thanks for creating the theatre that has been able to do that for some many for so long." Maria Denholme

"Common Grace is well-written, well-acted, and well-directed. Congrats to all. Best theatre experience I've had in the city in some time." Lloyd Arnett

"We just arrived home from Common Grace and we were blown away by how fantastic it is!! Having been a doctor for 38 years and a palliative care physician for 27 of those years, this play is realistic to the core! It is true, in the deep sense of true. I have been in the middle of countless scenes like those in this play, all of them funny and scary and tragic (all at the same time) just like the interchanges in Common Grace. So good that it did not tidy up the loose ends - that seldom happens in real life - but the grace that was there so beautifully and subtly is one of the things that gives me the passion to continue to care for patients and families at the end of life. The resilience of the human spirit and the power of love in the midst of life's messes never cease to amaze and renew me. Thank you for supporting the young artists and believing in them. Thank you to all who worked to make Common Grace uncommonly wonderful." Margaret Cottle, MD, CCFP (Palliative Care)

"This play was a wonderful reflection on the nature of grief, thwarted desire, and what happens when you’re forced to confront just what you turned your back on." | Roxanne Kalenborn, Fun! Fun! Vancouver

"Directed by Ron Reed on Carolyn Rapanos’s realistic set, the performances are strong and committed... Mortensen takes Miriam through a huge transformation... Kerri Norris’s Carol is a salt-of-the-earth mother and Cunningham’s Alanna endears herself to us with her sweetness tinged with sardonic wit. Rebecca De Boer makes a furiously explosive Abby." | Jo Ledingham

"There’s wit in Common Grace. And heart." | Colin Thomas, The Georgia Straight

"There is an authentic connection between the trio [Shauna Johannesen, Julie Lynn Mortensen, and Cara Cunningham] when they are on stage together. In her professional stage debut, Cunningham is particularly good here as the youngest of the siblings. Carl Kennedy brings a wonderfully understated performance as Pastor Dan" | Mark Robins, Vancouver Presents

"Common Grace is filled with surprises, so be prepared for an emotional ride. Be ready to laugh more than you expected too." | Daniel Chai, VancityBuzz

"Loved Common Grace at @PacificTheatre! Great play with honest, real characters, and excellent performances all around." | @CaptiveThunder, Twitter

"Amid the dark realism, punctuations of humour break the tension. The production nicely marries Johannesen’s clever writing and the cast’s outstanding timing." | Robin Lawrence, The MB Herald

"This show was right up there on our list of best ever PT productions. So well cast, brilliant acting and one of THE BEST SETS. Well done, all. I've already started word of mouth advertising and might just have to come again." | longtime subscriber