Wilbury’s ‘We’re Gonna Die’ — innovative, exhuberant theatre

Theatre Review by Don Fowler
Posted 1/24/23

Playwright Young Jean Lee has been called “the most adventurous downtown playwright of her generation” by the New York Times.

Wilbury Theatre Group Artistic Director Josh Short …

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Wilbury’s ‘We’re Gonna Die’ — innovative, exhuberant theatre

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Playwright Young Jean Lee has been called “the most adventurous downtown playwright of her generation” by the New York Times.

Wilbury Theatre Group Artistic Director Josh Short agrees, producing her third play at his innovative theatre, under the direction of Marcel A. Mascaro.

”We’re Gonna Die” is unique. Only an hour long, it moves at a rapid pace mixing soliloquies with music, all dealing with life and death.

After an energetic and funny warmup by Christine Treglia and a brief “pre-show” by Chazzgiovanni (We’re gonna get ready/you do the same) singer/storyteller Helena Tafuri takes center stage and talks about her life (or Lee’s life) of pain, isolation, grief and death.

Stories of childhood, young love, her first white hair, dreaded cancer and death are interspersed with songs that Lee has written as prose, suggesting chords that the talented musicians expand upon.

The message is clearly about death being the final act, but the ending raises our spirits with an “eat, drink and be merry” attitude.

The performances are top notch, with Jose Docen on guitar and Teddy Lytle on bass and percussion joining Tafuri and Chazzgiovanni.

“We’re Gonna Die” is at Wilbury Theatre Group through Feb. 12 in their new home at WaterFire Arts Center on Valley St. in Providence. It carries a PG rating with only one profanity per hour. Go on line at
www.thewilburygroup.org for tickets.

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