"The very youthful profundity of such thoughts saturates this lyrical production, directed as a flickering string of moments by Awoye Timpo...In tone, ‘Good Grief’ brings to mind sentimental young adult novels of premature tragedy...In form, it is considerably more adventurous...'Good Grief' still registers throughout as an affecting study of the ambivalence of bereavement. And it is acted by a sensitive cast that finds the authentic emotion within even the most stylized scenes.”
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"Watching the play is like flipping through TV channels, alighting on different shows, and being moved by each out-of-context scene...The physical aspects of Timpo’s staging are less strong...Luckily, despite this noir nonsense, the actors keep playing in a major key. Anyanwu’s point is that we can take pleasure and solace in memories, even when they’ve been brushed by pain. The designers may zero in on the grief, but the rest of the show keeps its focus on the good."
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“Its story is a heavy one, and could easily have gotten sucked into the whirlpools of weepiness. But Anyanwu and Timpo give it lift and breath. They make the play into a prism where, like light beams, we bounce between facets of memory and present circumstance...Anyanwu hardly ever cries. Not because she can’t go there as a performer, but because ‘Good Grief’ is interested in something else...Exploring not what grief actually looks like but what it feels like."
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“A sensitive, if occasionally saggy exploration of grief and regret..Director Awoye Timpo stages these nuanced performances within an occasionally clunky production...Unfortunately, 'Good Grief' is unlikely to leave such a lasting impression. While heartfelt and well-performed, it is hamstrung by a lumbering production. It also doesn't say anything particularly revelatory about grief...It's good, but not great."
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"The script consists of delaying tactics designed to keep Nkechi from reaching the inevitable moment when she must stare down her grief if she is to move forward...Anyanwu, the actress, is in the same fix as Anyanwu, the playwright -- clearly talented but without a clear way forward to make dramatic sense of Nkechi's troubles. In its final stretch, 'Good Grief' proves to be mildly touching -- but, really, one should be devastated"
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“A distinctly unconventional exploration of loss and bereavement...The magic in Anyanwu's writing is her ability to craft dialogue that sounds natural, while at the same time working in a vernacular that's distinctly her own...Beautifully directed by Awoye Timpo...Making sense of our mortality is one of life's inevitable riddles and Anyanwu's lyrical and heartfelt attempt to dramatize one young woman's search for an answer is as poignant as it is moving.”
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“At its heart 'Good Grief’ is honest and engaging. But it’s hampered by Anyanwu’s overwrought structure...The central characters, N and MJ, are more than appealing enough to grab our hearts. So why mess around with Zeus and the gang...Though it centers on N and MJ’s friendship...'Good Grief’ is at its best, and most grounded, during a scene between N and her brother...It’s low-key and heartfelt, and more magical than anything any of those gods could possibly conjure up.”
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“Anyanwu again demonstrates her gift for creating likeable characters and writing natural dialogue...’Good Grief’ comes off as working too hard to stage an essentially simple story of loss and regret with cutting edge originality. Despite...making the death of a major character part of Nkechi's journey to adulthood, ‘Good Grief ‘ just doesn't strike the viewer's emotional chords as deeply or effectively as 'The Homecoming Queen' did."
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