The Best Medicine
Reviewed by Amalisha HuEck
Can dealing with life’s challenges with comedy help us get out of dark places no matter what is going on? If we tune and listen to our hearts and let love and humor be our driving force, can we find understanding and balance out our desires and not feel like a victim?
Rachel, beautifully portrayed by Caroline Aaron (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) in the solo show ‘The Best Medicine’, written by playwright and bestselling author Robin Gerber, shows that life can be beautiful even during the most difficult situations. The play was Inspired by Gerber’s experience caring for her husband, who has Parkinson’s disease.
Life is full of surprises. One day Rachel woke up and discovered that her beloved husband is suffering from a progressive, incurable disease and she needs to become a caregiver, lose her independence and adjust to a new way of living. She manages to find peace and humor in everything that comes her way and learns where to put her focus, not on herself but on the person she loves. When love takes over, even the most challenging situations are not so hard. She deals with everything on a very special way; by finding and spicing it with humor. And with that, she finds life’s meaning in every stone that blocks her path.
Aaron’s ability to tell the dramatic story and be funny at the same time is wonderful! She knows how to hold the audience on the palm of her hand. The running of the show is 80 minutes, with no intermission. Great job with remembering the lengthy monologue!
The Show is produced by The Odyssey Theatre Ensemble and is presented in partnership with Parkinson’s Community Los Angeles (PCLA), and their patrons Will Robinson & Richard Haigh. The show’s Creatives are, Robert Mark Morgan (Scenic Design), Leigh Allen (Lighting Design), Ramiro Hermosillo (Sound & Video Design), Lisette Lee (Costume Design). Collaboration between director Jane E. Unger and Caroline Aanger produces a well-done show, where the laughter and honest open-hearted confessions show the real joy of living.
If you are facing the care-giver responsibility either for your own family member or for yourself and you need a caregiver, the USC Family Caregiver Support Center is very good.
Performances of The Best Medicine take place on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. from October 10 through November 15, 2026. Ticket prices range from $15 to $45, with a $3 fee added to each ticket purchased with a credit card. This Show Contains Adult Content and May Not Be Appropriate for All Audiences.
The Odyssey Theatre is located at 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025. For more information and to purchase tickets, call (310) 477-2055 or go to www.OdysseyTheatre.com