In Lifeline, playwright Robert Axelrod develops a story that explores the challenges within alternative lifestyles. The challenge for Axelrod is to navigate between content and form to give enough depth to the subject matter.
Content. Lifeline presents critical aspects of life. Suicide, gender identity, grief, and class are some of the background stories of the characters. Suicide, in particular, is what the group is trying to avoid. As the characters go through an intensive training to be prepared to answer the calls in a suicide prevention hotline, their personal scars are exposed and the real challenges begin.
Two of the characters, Jen and Patti, are particularly invested in the prevention hotline. The revelation of the connection between the two of them is what gives this story an additional layer of raw emotional pain that moves the audience to tears. Both Brittany Visser as Jen, and Amy Tolsky as Patti, express the searing pain of loss and the strange beauty of compassion when there’s nothing else to do.
In addition to the core of the story, the play also offers a calibration of the current state of things in terms of advances and regressions for the LGBTQ individuals, whether those challenges are internal or external, as discrimination not only comes from the outside but sometimes even from within the community as well.
Axelrod excels in his treatment of delicate and disturbing subjects. The content is profound and moving. But the form lacks organic growth to stress the conflict more convincingly.
The storylines seem to face the limitations set by mainstream media: Political correctness. At the end, Lifeline solves the conflicts quickly without much compromise, making the subject matter feel lighter, although this might be a time-constraint issue—elaborating more extensively in the conflicts presented by the characters might’ve made the play way longer.
Ken Sawyer shows his directorial skills, showing how to captivate the audience effectively. The seating arrangement allows some of the audience to be closer to the actors and the blocking makes the story feel intimate and absorbing. The lighting adds a subtly ambiance, surrounding the actors and the guitar player-singer (Lou Roy) with a warm halo to bring out the emotional elements of the material.
Axelrod exposes the criticality of that moment when a bad decision in life meets the bravery of those volunteers who dedicate their time and energy to save the day in a race against time.
The Road Theatre, located in The NoHo Senior Arts Colony,
10747 Magnolia Blvd.
North Hollywood, CA 91601
Opens: Friday, January 23 at 8pm (Press Opening)
Runs: Friday, January 23 – Sunday, March 1, 2026
Performances are Fridays & Saturdays at 8pm; Sundays at 2pm
Tickets: ci.ovationtix.com
LIFELINE
Written by Robert Axelrod
Directed by Ken Sawyer
Produced by Danna Hyams and Taylor Gilbert
Cast: Brittany Visser as “Jen,” Tommy Dickie as “Drew,” Amy Tolsky as “Patti,” Clifton J. Adams as “Kai, Naomi Rubin as “Sarah Beth” and Xoë Sazzle as “Maya.” Musicians for LIFELINE are Joh Chase and Lou Roy.
Creative team: Scenic Design by Desma Murphy; Lighting Design by Matthew Richter; Projection Design by Nicholas Santiago; Sound Design by Ken Sawyer; Costume Design by Mary Jane Miller; Properties Design by Aaron Lyons. Original Music by Joh Chase. The Production Stage Manager is Maurie Gonzalez.
