LETTING GO, HOLDING ON

A beautifully observed portrait of grief
anchored by Quincy Tyler Bernstine’s
extraordinary performance

If only someone would paint a portrait of Quincy Tyler Bernstine‘s grief-stricken face.

And not just any artist. I mean an experienced portraitist who can capture the profound depth and complexity of her astonishing performance in Well, I’ll Let You Go, now playing at Studio Seaview in New York. That way, we’ll have a definitive and lasting image of loss—what it looks like and how it can utterly overcome a human being. It’s a feeling we’ll all experience at some point in our lives, and we have a lot to learn from Quincy Tyler Bernstine.

In Bubba Weiler‘s deeply moving new play, Bernstine plays Maggie, a retired teacher in a Midwestern farming town of 30,000. She has just lost her husband, Marv, and the action covers several days before and after his burial. What’s remarkable about the story, set in modern times, is that it’s narrated, Our Town-style, by an unidentified man in street clothes (Matthew Maher) and structured like a mystery. When we first meet Maggie at home—on an empty stage designed by Frank J. Oliva, furnished with only a few folding chairs and kitchen essentials—we don’t quite know who she is or what’s going on. As characters enter one by one to play scenes with Maggie, we gradually learn who Marv was and what happened to him. The pieces of the puzzle are assembled slowly, with crucial backstory supplied by the Narrator.

First to enter is Wally (Will Dagger), Marv’s mentally challenged cousin, who has come to offer condolences. Through him, we learn that Marv was compassionate and generous, supporting Wally financially and even cooking for him. Next comes Joanie (Constance Shulman), a representative from a local funeral home offering to arrange Marv’s burial. She arrives carrying a collection of enormous purple balloons, providing welcome comic relief until the stunned Maggie asks her to leave, saying she may not want a funeral at all. Maggie is in shock. She isn’t ready.

Next comes Julie (Amelia Workman), Maggie’s childhood friend and neighbor, bearing flowers. From Julie, we learn that Marv, a practicing attorney, was the backbone of the community, helping solve everyone’s problems. She also introduces clues about the circumstances surrounding his death: a violent incident at a local community college where Marv died while saving the lives of others. The town council wants to name a street after him in recognition of his heroism. But what was Marv doing there? Julie’s questions increase Maggie’s alarm—and ours.

Next enters Jeff (Danny McCarthy), who turns out to be both Marv’s brother and Julie’s husband. He reports that the community college wants to erect a bronze statue honoring Marv. Gradually, Jeff supplies the details of the tragedy: an anti-abortion activist followed a young woman from a clinic to the campus and opened fire. Marv intervened, saving her life but sacrificing his own. Still, the mystery remains. What was Marv doing there? Maggie’s suspicions mount with unbearable intensity.

The suspense continues until Angela (Emily Davis), one of Maggie’s former students, arrives and reveals the truth behind Marv’s presence at the college. No spoilers here. That’s yours to discover.

Ultimately, the play becomes as much about a marriage as it does about the tragic circumstances of Marv’s death. Throughout the evening, the Narrator fills us in on the details of Maggie and Marv’s life together: a miscarriage, their inability to have more children, Maggie’s infatuation with another teacher she met at a conference, and her contemplation of leaving Marv.

The penultimate scene is exquisite in its simplicity. Maggie and the Narrator are alone onstage. He now plays Marv himself as Maggie dresses him for burial. Yet again, the playwright surprises us when the scene suddenly flashes back thirty years to the moment Marv shows Maggie the house he has purchased for them. She remembers believing, in that moment, that their love “could last a lifetime.” At last, she is ready to let him go.

In the final scene, featuring Maggie and a new character named Ashley (Cricket Brown), we learn the true extent of Marv’s humanity, generosity, and heroism.

Directed with clarity and a gentle touch by Jack Serio, the ensemble shines in this beautiful and sensitive play about love, loss, and sacrifice. With these compassionate characters surrounding her, Quincy Tyler Bernstine’s magnetic performance and phenomenal journey through life’s most difficult moments become a gift to us all.

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photos by Emilio Madrid

Well, I’ll Let You Go
Studio Seaview
305 W. 43rd St. in New York City
2 hours, including intermission
ends on June 20, 2026
for tickets, visit Studio Seaview

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