Lighthearted: Support Group For Men at Goodman Theatre (Through July 29, 2018)

Four men meet in an apartment above a bar at Clark and Roscoe. They are there to share their struggles without judgement. Only the person holding the talking stick may speak. During the meeting, an incident occurs outside and a surprise guest enters the scene.

Ryan Kitley (Lettie) plays Brian, the leader of the group. He’s very excited to talk about Amber, his girlfriend who is 20 years younger than him. He says everything is perfect. The other guys say this isn’t normal and it sounds like trouble. Keith Kupferer is great as Roger, an Artie Lange type character. He’s a man’s man who finds the whole group thing kind of silly, but he’s trying something new. Anthony Irons (How to Use a Knife) is solid as Delano, the married guy from Oak Park. Also, Tommy Rivera-Vega is very funny as Kevin, the salsa teacher.

Despite the cast being great, the play is a bit of a letdown. Nothing very dramatic happens and it’s all very lighthearted. It may have been out there 10 years ago, but now it’s quite tame. However, music is very well used in the performance. Unfortunately, a list of songs used was unable to be obtained.

Get tickets now for Support Group for Men through July 29^th.

Quinn Delaney