Falling
at American Heritage School

Reviewed on November 8, 2015

Brooke Whitaker
Archbishop McCarthy High School
Submitted for publication to Floridatheateronstage.com

How far is one willing to go to keep their family together? American Heritage's production of Falling is filled with raw, tender emotion in how a family deals with the often strenuous reality of living with an autistic child.

Based on the playwright Deanna Jent's own experiences with her autistic son, Falling revolves around mother Tami, who spends most of her time caring for the special needs of her son, Josh, a child with autism who is prone to violent outbursts. With the help of her husband, Bill, and a series of games and code words, she seemingly has everything under control. Yet when his grandmother comes to visit, the family's carefully constructed routine unravels, revealing the hidden dysfunction lying underneath.

Diego De La Espriella gave an incredibly realistic and nuanced performance as Josh. Each of his mannerisms, from his tendency to brush his fingers against certain things each time he passed them to his reluctance to look anyone in the eye, were true to the nature of his character. Everything he did felt natural. In one particular scene, when he was in a fit of rage, spit was flying from his mouth as he threw himself on the floor to escape the sound of a dog barking. Espriella wasn't afraid to expose himself like this on stage, contributing the overall vulnerable nature of the show.

Delaney Lovejoy, as Tami, was both grounded and personal. She fully embodied the role of a frazzled mom who loves her son and yet is terrified of him. Her stress and her fear were readily apparent through her stellar line delivery and organic chemistry with each member of the cast, especially her husband, Bill, played by stand-in Brian Haimes. Considering he was not originally intended for the role, Haimes did an incredible job as a gentle father figure. Felicia Reich, as Sue, was also very down to earth as a bible-quoting grandmother who's not quite sure how to best help her son's aching family.

The set, designed by Brian Haimes, truly resembled an actual living room, with comfortable couches, family photos, and a glimpse of the front porch through the window. Props, done by Emily Grossutti, were remarkably detailed, further creating the illusion of a realistic house.

As Tami says to Grandma Sue, "We have to laugh about this stuff, otherwise we get stuck." American Heritage's show takes this to heart, using ample humor to give an intelligent, honest, and bittersweet portrayal of how autism can sometimes make families feel as if they're falling, with nothing to grab on to.

Laralee Simpson
Archbishop McCarthy High School
Submitted for publication to Floridatheateronstage.com

American Heritage School blew away its audience with its stellar performance of the eye opening and thought provoking show, 'Falling.'

Originally opening off Broadway in 2012 at the Minetta Lane Theater, 'Falling' follows the life of an autistic 18-year-old named Josh. When his grandmother decides to come for a visit, the family's entire routine becomes completely disoriented, creating utter chaos. The play focuses on the struggles of the family as a whole, both physically and mentally.

In the theatrical world, the expression 'the show must go on' are words to live by. This was evident in 'Falling' for one monumental reason. The actor originally planning to portray the role of Bill, the father of Josh, abruptly had to drop out of the show the day of opening night. With quick thinking, Mrs. Christina Wright-Ballard, director of the show, put in senior Brian Haimes to fill the role. If not told of this news beforehand, one would've never guessed that Haimes had not been cast as this role and rehearsing just as long as everyone else. Haimes was also the set designer of the show, creating a stunning set that left audience members astonished.

To take on a role that calls for such a demanding physicality can be a difficult task for actors. For Diego De La Espriella, who portrayed the role of Josh, this certainly did not seem like the case. Every twitch and movement that he made with his body created such a powerful character that impacted the audience. With such fluid and consistent mannerisms and ticks, Espriella created the performance of a lifetime, leaving everyone watching speechless.

When in a show with a cast of five actors, connection between one another is crucial for the success of that show. There is no doubt in anyone's mind that the connection between the actors in 'Falling' was so incredibly strong and intimate. This is seen through actress Delaney Lovejoy's portrayal of Josh's mother, Tami. In every scene she was in, she would connect with all of her fellow actors, whether it be when she's comforting Josh or arguing with Bill. She stayed in the moment every second she was on stage, leading to an exceptional performance overall. Josh's grandmother Sue (Felicia Reich) also brought such a beautiful and refreshing character to the performance, playing the role of the over-religious grandmother with such ease. The role of Lisa, portrayed by Tess Rowland, played such an impactful part of the production. Her anger and frustration for her brother was shown whenever she screamed at her mother or made a snide remark if her brother was even mentioned.

Through the troubles and the barriers, American Heritage School pushed through and created a magnificent piece of art, leaving audience members weeping at the beauty of it all. They certainly did not fall short in the portrayal of the powerful lesson shown through this beautiful play.

Emily Lynch
Archbishop McCarthy High School
Submitted for publication to Floridatheateronstage.com

The saying "A mother's love has no limits" took on a whole new meaning in American Heritage's production of the Off Broadway play, "Falling." A bright light of sympathy and understanding was cast upon a hushed and sensitive topic with a fresh originality in the school's candid portrayal.

This contemporary piece focuses on a family's struggle to cope with their severely autistic son, Josh, and his increasingly violent tendencies that are beyond both Josh and the family's control. The play specifically focuses on the mother's, Tami, unconditional yet struggling love for her son's well being and safety in regards of long term care. While dealing with the pressures of a mother in law that's zealous in means of religiosity (Sue), an ornery and petulant 16 year old daughter (Lisa), and a deteriorating passion and heightened disagreements in the marriage with her husband (Bill), Tami comes to realize her vulnerability and her limitless love cause her to need to be caught while "falling."

The students brought a lifelike quality to their characters that made viewers feel like a welcomed fly on the wall observing the family's everyday life. Delaney Lovejoy (Tami) gave an extremely naturalistic embodiment of a mother that showed her character's raw exasperation and burden. Brian Haimes as Bill gave an exceptional performance after being substituted in the play with a day's notice. His portrayal gave a realism and authenticity that evoked the impression that he really was a burdened and confused dad. Haimes especially gave an aura of great chemistry with Lovejoy as his wife that seemed the two had been married for 20 years rather than been cast mates for a day. Diego De La Espriella gave an impeccable performance that left the audience in tears on more then one occasion. He delivered his complex role with such rawness and authenticity that it could easily be believed that he was a genuine sufferer of Autism. Through Felicia Reich's (Sue) believability she gave a realistic personification as a grandma that touts her strict Biblical views. Reich's delivery of refreshing comic relief and her frightened view towards Josh showed the actress's versatility. Tess Rowland as Lisa also gave a commendable performance through the delivery of her whines, complaints, and derisions towards Josh that created her as a detestable character.

Heritage's crew did a commendable job on the set. It personified the seemingly humdrum life of most suburban families but emphasized certain elements,like the bright blue of the feather box, to show the family's unique situation. Although the blocking of the play was mostly well done, there were a few points where action was set too far downstage so that certain viewers could not see. The lighting was also well done to convey the change in the direction and mood of the story.

The performance by the American Heritage students evoked emotions and showed struggles faced by thousands of families and unbeknownst to millions. The overwhelming rawness of the performance created a story and message that won't soon be forgotten.

Jorge Amador
West Broward High School
Submitted for publication to Floridatheateronstage.com

For Tami and her family life was anything but ordinary. With a powerful and inspiring message bringing light to the spectrum disorder of Autism, American Heritage's performance of Falling showcased the remarkable realism and the hardships of this "perfect" family.

Written by Deanna Jent, The Off-Broadway play, Falling, shows the trials that an ordinary family has to face with an autistic young man. The play takes place in the modern-day household of Josh and his family and their many troubling adventures they face together. This story is even more captivating on the fact that Deanna Jent's own son experienced autism. Winner of the 2012 Kevin Kline award, Falling test all norms and highlights the remarkable inspiring disorder of autism.

Diego De la Espriella portrays the role of Josh in a realistic and inspiring way well beyond his years; bringing light and acceptance to the reality of autism. Espriella's mannerisms and movements brought the story to life of this "falling" family. He showed the work of a daring actor, fearless enough to embody the life of the character. Also, portraying remarkable fearlessness was Brian Haimes, not only did he design the homey set, but stepped into the role of Bill less than 24 hours before the show. He showcased and delivered the role in a beautiful and heartening way under the circumstances. Delaney LoveJoy also embodied the role of a struggling mother in a heart-warming yet realistic way and carries the play in an uplifting manner.

Also, two impressive actresses, Tess Rowland and Felicia Reich, bring comic relief to the heart wrenching show with subtle yet captivating scenes.

American Heritage was brave enough to take on such a mature and challenging show as a high school. They brought justice and warm heartedness to this sophisticated play and delivered a wonderful message about autism.

Another impressive part of the production was the realistic and eye-catching set designed by Brian Haimes, whom also play Bill. The homey set brought the audience into the life of the struggling family. With remarkable attention to detail and amazing use of the limited space in a blackbox. Haimes produced a beautiful set that brought the story to life. It made the audience feel as if they were a part of the family.

Overall American Heritage displayed a unique and heartfelt performance of Falling that is one for the books.

Megan Cahill
St. Thomas Aquinas High School
Submitted for publication to Floridatheateronstage.com

Falling, written by Deanna Jent, follows the life of Josh, a severely autistic young man, and what his family goes through in order to take care of him. When his Grandma Sue, an outsider of Josh's home life, comes to visit, the drama heightens as she witnesses the strength, dedication, and love it takes to give Josh the most prosperous life he can have.

American Heritage did a phenomenal job tackling such a difficult show. The chemistry among the cast and intimate setting of the black box the show took place in created a true feeling of family.

One of the many great performances was from sudden understudy, Brian Haimes as the father, Bill. He was able to do what professional actors are paid to do. He came this afternoon with a stellar performance after having less than a day to learn his role. It was highly impressive to see him become the character with such ease, as if he was cast as the part from the start.

Another notable performance was from Felicia Reich, who played Grandma Sue. She easily brought to life the part of the loving, God-driven, grandmother. Tess Rowland, who played Josh's sister Lisa, had an intriguing performance as she gave a new perspective on being the average, teenage girl growing up with a disabled brother.

The mother Tami, played by Delaney Lovejoy, really showed the audience what a mother's undying love for her children is. Her understanding of being a mother of a disabled child was truly outstanding, and she presented herself with wisdom and maturity beyond her years. The most moving performance was from Diego De La Espriella as the autistic son, Josh. He had a stellar attention to detail and amazing comprehension of his character. His research and dedication to the roll was evident in his triumphant performance.

The tech aspects were equally successful as the actors. The set and lighting complimented each other and gave the feeling that the audience was intruding on a real home; and, the props added on to the authenticity of the play.

Falling is not an average play that most high schools would be able to tackle with such success, but American Heritage's rendition was highly prosperous. I felt every emotion along with the cast as if it were really happening. I am extremely impressed and I'm sure any future audience members of Heritage's Falling will be too.