Mesa College Theatre Company presents, “ Dead Man’s Cell Phone,” a Helen Hayes award winning play, written by Sarah Ruhl. The play directed by Annie Hinton, supervising faculty for the Drama Department, is about a 40 year-old woman who falls in love in the most unlikely circumstances with a dead man.

Jean, played by Liz Earls, starts off by having lunch at a cafe, when all of a sudden a man’s cell phone rings. And rings. Jean, disturbed by the unanswered phone call, walks up to the man and answers the incoming call. After Jean hung up,she noticed the man had died while sitting quietly in the cafe. Startled by her discovery she immediately calls 911. Jean not only decides to stay with dead man before any help came to the scene but also kept his cell phone in order to keep the memory of Gordon, the dead man played by Rich Gibbs, alive forever.

At the funeral Jean receives yet another incoming call, it was from Gordon’s other woman. Jean agrees to meet with this stranger because she wanted to do the right thing in Gordon’s memory. The woman, played by Priscila Ferrari, asked Jean to repeat Gordon’s last words. In the attempt to give closure on the dead man’s behalf, Jean told the woman Gordon loved her. The conversation was interrupted by the dead man’s ringing cell phone. It was Gordon’s Mother.

Gordon’s Mother, Mrs. Gottlieb, played by Amber Treadway, had a habit of calling Gordon, even after him passing. Mrs. Gottlieb invites Jean over to her house for dinner where she meets Gordon’s widow Hermia, played by Paloma Dominguez and Gordon’s brother, Dwight, played by Kevin Orlof. Jean, pretending to be a Gordon’s  former co-worker, brings gifts to his mother, wife, and brother from the cafe. The gifts were a representation of what his family meant to Gordon, according to Jean.

Jean uncovers the truth behind the mystery of the dead man’s occupation after she embarks on a trip to Brazil. There, she realizes Gordon was a self-centered, selfish man, who didn’t love anyone else as much as he loved himself. No wonder he died alone, silently in a chair at the cafe.

After Jean was given another opportunity at life and wants to make things right. She once again falls in love. This time, with another man, who she promises to love one another until the end.

The play’s actors were very well casted and showed genuine talent on stage; Liz Earls, is witty, determined and shows good faith. Rich Gibbs’ role as Gordon, the self-loving businessman, was also great and very convincing, especially during his monologue. The audiences favorite, Amber Treadway, was comical and intrigued us with her unexpected vocal verses in the second scene. The cell phone dancers were synchronized and well choreographed. Not to mention the costumes were appropriate, it gave elegance and a business like feel to the play.