Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Bubba Weiler’s WELL, I’LL LET YOU GO is an exquisitely nuanced portrait of grief and doubt, by way of “Our Town”

• By drediman
• August 11, 2025
• No Comments

One of the finest plays to emerge from these summer months is Bubba Weiler’s new work Well, I’ll Let You Go, which is currently playing an extended run at The Space at Irondale in Brooklyn’s Fort Greene neighborhood. Set in the Midwest, the play finds Maggie reeling from the recent unfortunate murder of her husband Marv under suspicious circumstances. In a series of keenly observed scenes — largely one-on-one meetings with various visitors seeking to comfort Maggie — our grappling middle-aged heroine attempts to piece together the mystery of her husband’s death. The proceedings are overseen by a narrator — much like the Stage Manager does in Thornton Wilder’s classic Our Town — who not only sets each scene, but also provides insight into each character’s inner thoughts.

Despite its deceptively simple structure, Well, I’ll Let You Go is nevertheless an exquisitely nuanced piece about the nature of and the process of dealing with loss and grief. The play is also a potent depiction of doubt and how it can permeate and cloud one’s overarching sense of the world around them. As Maggie struggles to make heads or tails of life after the dust has settled, she’s put through the wringer — by extension, as is the audience — as dark thoughts infiltrate her already fragile state of mind, thereby affecting her relationships with friends, family, and members of the community. The production has been sensitively directed by Jack Serio, who in recent years has made a name for himself for his stylish, emotionally raw productions; he even cleverly gives a nod to Thonton’s play by way of the unforgettable theatrical coup at the climax of David Cromer’s seminal revival of Our Town late in the play (no spoilers here!).

The current production features a series of astute performances from a cast of rather accomplished stage actors. In the central role of Maggie, the extraordinary Quincy Tyler Bernstine gives a milestone performance — in a distinguished career that seems chock full of milestone performances — that fearlessly digs into the character’s knotted psyche as she faces the abyss of despair that stands before her. The role of the narrator (arguably the play’s second leading character) is played by Michael Chernus with clarity and quiet compassion. The rest of the cast — including terrifically idiosyncratic performers like Constance Shulman as a fussy funeral director and Will Dagger as a frustrated cousin — beautifully flesh out their characters with great care care to a unlock the full breadth of their humanity.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

WELL, I’LL LET YOU GO
Off-Broadway, Play
The Space at Irondale
1 hour, 40 minutes (without an intermission)
Through August 29