In his notes for Harlequin's production of Rabbit Hole, director Brian Tyrrell mentions his fondness for "well written plays."  His phrasing leaped out at me - not just because playwright David Lindsay-Abaire is good at his job, which he clearly is, but because it echoes a phrase from my theater history classes.  The "well-made play" was a popular dramatic genre from the late 19th century, a stretch on the path to Chekhov and Shaw.  I suspect Tyrrell's phrase is not coincidental.  Consider:  Well-made plays were marked by realistic sets, naturalistic behavior, a fateful letter, and plain exposition to relate a heap of story that took place before the curtain rose.  Perhaps characters were confronted by their own helplessness, brought low by the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.

Read the full review of this well written play here.

[The State Theater - Harlequin Productions, through April 3, 8 p.m. Thursday - Saturday, 3 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, $22-$33, 202 Fourth Ave., E., Olympia, 360.786.0151]