Anna Lise Jensen, Kareema Khouri and Elizabeth Price in “Step By Step” at Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre in its U.S. premiere through Sunday, Aug. 10. (Photo by Alberto Romeu, courtesy of Actors' Playhouse)
Facing mortality can be as daunting as climbing a steep mountain, but with friends by your side, the journey feels a little less overwhelming. Likewise, scaling that mountain becomes easier when everyone tackles the climb together, step by step.
In British playwright Peter Quilter’s moving and funny play "Step by Step," that’s exactly what Monica, Sophie, and Paula attempt to do. Though they often hurl wisecracks at one another, beneath the bickering lies a deep well of care and support.
Elizabeth Price as Sophie, Anna Lise Jensen as Monica, and Kareema Khouri as Paula in Actors' Playhouse's U.S. premiere of Peter Quilter's “Step By Step.” (Photo by Alberto Romeu, courtesy of Actors' Playhouse)
American audiences may not be familiar with "Step by Step" since it has played solely overseas. But South Florida theatergoers can now experience the play at the Miracle Theatre in Coral Gables, where Actors’ Playhouse presents an engaging United States premiere, running through Sunday, Aug. 10.
Running about 90 minutes with no intermission, the production maintains a rhythm that neither drags nor rushes the action, a testament to Actors’ Playhouse artistic director David Arisco’s careful balance of humor and poignancy.
Arisco and his team have “Americanized” the script with language more familiar to U.S. audiences. Still, the time and place remain vague, perhaps suggesting the piece’s universality.
Kareema Khouri and Anna Lise Jensen play friends Paula and Monica on a hiking trip as a memorial to their friend. (Photo by Alberto Romeu, courtesy of Actors' Playhouse)
In the story, Monica, Sophie, and Paula embark on a two-day trek up a hill to honor their late friend Rebecca, who once made the same journey. Details about Rebecca and the origins of the trio’s friendship are sparse. More backstory might have deepened the audience’s emotional connection. Still, the women’s dry, fast-paced banter hints at a layered relationship shaped by closeness, irritation, and enduring affection.
“You two sound like you’re a married couple,” Sophie quips, injecting a welcome moment of levity. The climb is both literal and emotional. As the women carry physical baggage up the mountain, they also shoulder unresolved tensions and personal grief. The memorial, placing small stones at the summit, stirs old wounds. And as they prepare to honor Rebecca, thoughts of death surface quietly, almost without warning.
"Step by Step" explores friendship, grief, and mortality with humor and heart, steering clear of sentimentality or gloom. You might laugh uneasily when Paula (Kareema Khouri) remarks that, during a lull in conversation, she was “planning my funeral service.” Yet Khouri delivers the line with surprising calm and even joy, as though she’s relieved to have eased a future burden on her loved ones.
Anna Lise Jensen as a soon to be bride in Actors' Playhouse's U.S. premiere of Peter Quilter's “Step By Step.” (Photo by Alberto Romeu, courtesy of Actors' Playhouse)
Khouri, who has shined in past Actors’ Playhouse productions such as "Caroline, or Change," brings Paula believably to life with equal parts verve and vulnerability. With wide, expressive eyes and a booming voice, her Paula is larger than life yet we sense a woman quietly wrestling with her own fragility beneath a commanding presence.
As Monica, Anna Lise Jensen also delivers, showcasing strong comic timing and conveying Monica’s inner conflict about her upcoming marriage. We also sense through Jensen’s performance that Monica may have been a sarcastic, eye-rolling teenager and this trait has never quite left her. But when Monica emotionally falls apart, Jensen plays the scene with an intensity that borders on exaggeration.
Elizabeth Price, Anna Lise Jensen, Kareema Khouri.
As the compulsive Sophie, Elizabeth Price imbues her character with believable tension without making her a caricature. In addition, Price’s Sophie often smiles, and it’s expressive suggesting sarcasm and discomfort more than happiness.
The actors perform on a realistic set by scenic designer Brandon M. Newton. Big rocks suggest mountains and clearly place us in an outdoor setting. Grass growing next to the rocks is also a telling detail. Meanwhile, on a scrim-like screen in the distance, we see the sky and clouds. These take on a pinkish hue at times, perhaps suggesting a sunrise or sunset.
Speaking of lighting, Eric Nelson’s realistic design varies in intensity appropriately, while Ellis Tillman’s character-defining costumes prove to be strong fits for the three women. Reidar Sorensen’s sound design is clear and crisp and suggests a woodsy environment, complete with birds and nature.
Anna Lise Jensen and Elizabeth Price hear things that go bump in the night in in Actors' Playhouse's U.S. premiere of Peter Quilter's “Step By Step.” (Photo by Alberto Romeu, courtesy of Actors' Playhouse)
If the playwright’s name rings a bell, it might be because Quilter wrote "End of the Rainbow," a musical drama about the final months of Judy Garland’s life. The role earned Renée Zellweger an Oscar in the 2019 film adaptation titled "Judy."
Quilter has made a name for himself by crafting emotionally resonant, accessible, and layered stories. They blend humor and drama, a la Neil Simon. More specifically, Quilter explores serious themes without losing a sense of levity or theatricality. Not surprisingly, his many plays have been produced in more than 40 countries and translated into more than two dozen languages.
Ultimately, "Step by Step" reminds us that while life challenges us in many ways, it is best to experience it with others. Indeed, family and friends can offer us the support we need to navigate life’s difficult paths with grace, humor, and resilience. And Actors’ Playhouse’s fine production of this play introduces U.S. audiences to a piece that is a welcome addition to the American theatrical canon.
IF YOU GO:
- WHAT: The U.S. premiere of Peter Quilter’s comic drama, "Step by Step."
- WHEN: 8 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday; matinees 2 p.m. Wednesday, and 3 p.m. Sunday through Aug. 10.
- WHERE: Actors' Playhouse at th Miracle Theatre, 280 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables.
- TICKETS: $50, $60, and $70 weekdays; $65, $75, and $85 weekends.
- INFO: (305) 444-9293 or visit www.actorsplayhouse.org.
