Marvin’s Room

The late playwright Scott McPherson died (of AIDS, at age 33) in 1992. But before he passed, he wrote Marvin’s Room, a play about illness (though not specifically AIDS) that’s alternately funny and deadly serious. We meet an imperfect family being significantly strained by events, two sisters who’ve grown apart (but realize they need to mend their relationship), an angry teenage boy “acting out” with behavior problems and a kooky, TV-addicted aunt. It’s also a “weird Florida” play—think chemotherapy, cockroaches and Disney World. This production features several midlife community actors who received good university training along the way, and it gently captures the spirit of the script, as well as the realization that unconditional love and acceptance are so very, very important.
Imprint Theatre Company at Oak Hills Church; 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 4 p.m. Sundays; no show on Saturday November 17; $15-$20. 1100 Blue Ravine Rd., Folsom, (916) 627-6522, www.imprinttheatre.org. Through November 18.