Insight Colab’s production of Amy Herzog’s ‘4000 Miles’ is a heartwarming journey

Grief isn’t funny — usually.

One exception is Amy Herzog’s play 4000 Miles, presented by Insight Colab Theatre and currently onstage at Aurora’s Vintage Theatre. Samantha Saunders directs it with a solid grip on a recurring theme.

In Herzog’s dramedy, grief is explored by Leo (Johnathan Underwood) and Vera (Mary Campbell), his grandmother, as they each navigate through their grief and how it ultimately brings them together. Aside from its serious subject matter, 4000 Miles is often funny and filled with heartwarming moments, culminating in a touching and emotionally engaging experience.

Leo is grieving the loss of his best friend killed in a biking accident. As a 91-year-old widow, Vera has outlived most of her friends and is still coping with the loss of her husband 10 years prior. She is filled with grief daily. Between the two of them, their unique coping mechanisms make them relatable and their journey compelling.

Leo arrives at Vera’s New York City apartment in the middle of the night with an intense need to connect with someone following his friend’s death. And he has run out of money. Although somewhat contentious, Leo’s relationship with Vera is one of family and precisely what he seeks. Vera is constantly in a state of grief and cautiously explores her multi-layered heartache with Leo. It explores how individuals grieve but, equally importantly, how they cope.

We meet Bec (Jennifer So), Leo’s soon-to-be ex-girlfriend, adding another layer of loss he must deal with. In a brief but uproarious scene, Leo brings Amanda (Min Kyung [Cecillia] Kim) back to his grandmother’s apartment, teasing him to the point of distraction until she decides to split when Leo divulges a secret about his grandmother.

Confronting grief

4000 Miles is a sturdy, character-driven play that explores a subject matter that most people try to avoid. Herzog has done an impressive job crafting the play so that grief is no longer an unspeakable emotion that must be swept under the rug.  Herzog’s dialogue is realistic and thought-provoking, pulling the curtain back just enough to allow the audience to conclude on their own the best way to manage this deep-seated emotion.

As Leo, Underwood brings the character to life with honesty and appeal. His performance, true to life, grapples with mixed emotions by playing the moment, never projecting into the future. Underwood’s versatility as an actor is on full display.

Campbell, a Vintage Theatre favorite, captures Vera’s physicality at 91 years old. She, too, brings a sense of honesty to her portrayal that fuels her achievement in giving a peak performance. Campbell quickly moves from emotion to emotion, providing a well-rounded performance of someone who has lived a long life (maybe too long) and experienced everything that goes along with that. Campbell and Underwood have filled in the back story of their relationship and subsequently bring it to life in an impressive show of character interaction.

In Bec’s role, So is appropriately firm without being cruel as her relationship with Leo dissolves. She clearly cares about him but needs to pursue other relationships. As Amanda, Kim lightens the heavy load of the play through a hilarious 10-minute scene with a dramatic twist where she commands the stage with comedic excellence. Both actors are notable and provide essential insights into the overall direction of the play.

As directed by Saunders, 4000 Miles tickles the funny bone while exploring the depths of human emotion. Saunders has found just the right mix of comedy and drama without going overboard in either direction and her direction is clean and crisp throughout without being overbearing. She has done a commendable job in creating relationships in the play with a delicate touch that gives sweeping results in character interaction. It is a praiseworthy outing as a director.

Although only 90 minutes long, 4000 Miles travels a great distance in character exploration and the human condition and thoughtfully explores something we all must confront.