"A play about addiction and dementia doesn't sound like it would be anything but grim, but "The Reservoir," Berkeley Repertory Theatre's season-opening dramedy by Jake Brasch, finds a surprising amount of resilience in laughter. Described as semi-autobiographical, the play follows a year in the life of college student Josh (Ben Hirschhorn), whose alcoholism has led him from theater school in New York to the shores of a reservoir in his Colorado hometown."
"How he got there and why his arm is bleeding he can't quite remember. The blackout days were pretty black indeed. Josh's mother (Brenda Withers) is as worried about her son as she is wary of him, and all the promises he makes about really committing to sobriety this time don't seem to convince her in the slightest. Still, she gives in and helps Josh try to start over."
The Reservoir follows Josh, a college student whose alcoholism forces him from New York back to his Colorado hometown. Josh experiences blackout episodes and memory gaps while attempting sobriety and restarting his life. His wary but supportive mother helps him secure a part-time bookshop job despite cognitive disorientation. Josh seeks to reconnect with nearby grandparents, confronting Nana's advanced dementia and Hank's struggle to cope. Other grandparents provide humor and stability: Shrimpy studies for a second bar mitzvah and Grandma Bev offers practical, unsentimental support as Josh navigates recovery and family ties.
Read at The Mercury News
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