‘Quality of Life’ an engrossing, emotional story

It’s tough not to be pulled into the questions posed throughout “The Quality of Life,” Arena Stage’s latest production.

Written by Emmy Award-winning playwright Jane Anderson, the story is at once very simple and at the same time unbelievably complex. How do a husband and wife — one couple from an ultraliberal, spiritual background and another from a conservative background, face ultimate challenges to create the best quality for their lives?

It’s little surprise this play has won critical applause wherever it’s been staged. Just the concept of the story is enough to engage. Take the question posed and explore it by way of two cousins and their spouses — played by an all-star cast in this production — and you have the makings of a winner.

The story begins when a Midwestern woman speaks to her husband about visiting a somewhat long-lost cousin in California. The couple, while relaxing on lawn chairs in their seemingly middle class backyard, has an air of tension between them. We soon learn that their brilliant, lovely daughter was brutally killed in a random act of violence.

The woman’s female cousin and her husband who live in California have their own tragedies with which to contend. Their home and all its contents were destroyed in a wildfire and the husband is terminally ill with cancer that has sapped him physically but not dulled him psychologically.

The play is completely engrossing, in large part because of the passion of the arguments among the four as they work to comfort and guide each other. The emotions erupt despite the four wanting to seek solace in each other’s company. Not do the four have completely opposite lifestyles and beliefs but they are almost strangers. The only connection among them is the tenuous childhood experiences shared by the two women.

“Quality of Life” is a fascinating character study well worth seeing but is a bit weighed down by some of the over-the-top acting of a few of the performers. What a shame. The dialogue, for the most part, has many subtle, heart-rending nuances that were lost as some characters turned almost cartoonish.

The clear standout in the cast is Annette O’Toole who has the breezy, brash and loving Dinah down to such an extent one wouldn’t be surprised to see her shopping at Krueger’s in Los Angeles. Everything from her gestures to her seemingly spontaneous dialogue is masterful.

Bravo to Anderson for showing that challenging our entrenched beliefs may be the best way to ultimately define what we consider the quality of life.