Somewhere in Ohio, five characters depict the painful decay of the working class in the Midwest, one drink at a time.
According to the Economic Policy Institute, the Midwest has endured years of slow wage growth, slow job growth, public-sector employment shortfalls, and declines in unionization. These factors have contributed to the decline of the Industrial Heartland, a once powerful and aspirational region with plenty of job opportunities for the working class.
With that grim background, To Each Their Own tells the story of a trio of miscreants that plot a series of bank robberies in an attempt to make money and leave behind a life void of purpose. Playwright Travis Williams has a sharp ability to paint with a high degree of detail the struggles and yearnings of the people left behind, the forgotten ones. The script is written in the Midwestern Gothic genre, bringing to the stage an engrossing story with interesting twists and turns.
There’s humor, violence, hope, and despair, elements that make the characters appealing and relatable. Doug (William Wilson) and Benny (James Lemire) co-own a bar in a small town in Ohio. Doug has drinking issues; Benny is not the sharpest tool in the shed. But they’re each other’s support system, and so they go, even planning a series of successful bank heists that keep bringing some money. They work for a mysterious man who knows the bank’s employees schedules and the police movements. Guts and precision is all they need to rob and get away with the money without getting caught.
Enter Bailey (Tabitha Trosen). Doug’s old flame, Bailey also takes part in the robberies. Everything looks fine until Bailey finds out that the mysterious man they’re working for takes 70% of the loot. Ambitious and determined, she tries to convince Doug and Benny to cut the middle man and work on their own. Why take 30 when they can take 100%?
The past keeps haunting the characters and the story starts to take a darker tone. Abuse, alcoholism, and drug addiction are some of the factors that have shaped their lives and the intense need to look for something better. They’re not only escaping the police; they’re also escaping their past.
The grittiness of the script is successfully translated by Director Brooklyn Sample into a stunning visual collage of low lighting and somber colors, framed by an extraordinary set design that heightens the dangerous and murky lives of the outlaws. Even though it is a small space, the production team put together an attractive stage that makes the story engrossing and captivating.
The two characters in the second act, Billy (Jason Madera) and Irving (Travis Williams), are examples of fascinating supporting characters that contribute to expand the story and emphasize the oddity of opposing polarities, humor and violence.
As the protagonist, Wilson gives his character that appealing sense of damaged goods. He is a man shaped by fear and guilt, driven by the ambition of becoming somebody, fighting the dreadful notion of being nobody in a land of broken dreams.
To Each Their Own is raw and aggressive, a faithful portrait of the harsh realities of unstable characters with limited opportunities. It’s a dark and poetic landscape of isolation and resilience, a fuzzy dream of a better life with the yearnings of going back to one’s roots. This play is a powerful and moving story that reflects contemporary issues affecting our fractured society. It’s a rare finding, don’t miss the opportunity to experience up close the witty talent of these dedicated artists.
To Each Their Own
Atwater Village Theatre
3269 Casitas Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90039
Opening Night: April 17, 2025 – 8:00 p.m.
Performances: April 18, 19, 25, 26, 8 p.m., April 27 – 6:00 p.m.
Final Weekend: May 2, 3, 8:00 p.m. and May 4, 2025 – 6:00 p.m.
Tickets: artcrush.la
Written by Travis Williams. Directed by Brooklyn Sample. Produced by Blind Toe Productions and Erin Coleman.
Starring: Jason Madera, James Lemire, Tabitha Trosen, Travis Williams, and William Wilson.
Creative team: Stage Manager Jade Santana, Lighting Designer Luke Moyer, Set Designer Thomas Brown, Sound Designer Carlos Flood.