‘Grace & Glorie’ is a touching tale

Opposites attract in this bittersweet play about life, death and commonality

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Michael Benedian

Donna Acosta-Campos kicks off rehearsal by entering the scene as her character Glorie

Atreyu Hinckley, Staff Writer

“Grace & Glorie” is the latest play provided by the Los Medanos College’s Drama Department. It’s the first play to be performed at the LMC little theater since the pandemic started back in 2020. The play is directed by Clint Sides and stars Nyla Rahimi as Grace and Daisy Acosta-Campos as Glorie.

Grace is a 90 year old cancer patient who has little time to live. Instead of staying in the hospital for treatment, she decides to spend her remaining time at her homestead cottage, which is where the entire plot takes place. Things don’t fully go her way however, as a volunteer hospice worker named Glorie comes over to Grace’s cottage to take care of her for the remaining time that she has.

Throughout the play, we learn more about the two characters. Grace, despite the hardship that she has been through between her health and outliving multiple family members, believes that she made it through thanks to God being on her side. Glorie, on the other hand, is still guilt-ridden by the loss of her son in an automobile accident and questions if there even is a God.

There is also a juxtaposition between the two characters throughout when it comes to their ages. The older Grace doesn’t believe in crumbling when things go bad and is set on her ways. Many moments show this such as refusing to take her prescribed morphine when her pain acts up, or not wanting to try any food Glorie brings because it isn’t farm made. The younger Glorie, meanwhile, panics the second anything goes wrong for her, such as accidentally burning her hand after boiling an egg for Grace, or when one of the chickens outside of the cottage pecks at Glorie’s hand.

Rahimi and Acosta-Campos provide powerhouse performances despite being the only two characters in the entire play. The trials, tribulation and morals of the story are amplified by their dedication to their roles. “Grace & Glorie” is a bittersweet drama that shows that two people from completely different generations can learn things even when it seems that it’s too late and time is running out. The dialogue between the two characters will leave you with a tear or two throughout. 

There are two more showings of the play on Nov. 18 and 19 at 7 p.m. inside the LMC little theater. The price for tickets are $10 for high school admission, $12 for college students with proof of student status or military ID and $15 for general admission.