Visiting My Mother, and Other Repetition Compulsions

Reviewed by Julian Nicolson

The vibe is intense.  The play shows the generational effects of emotional abuse through three generations.  

The initial set of two chairs and a table is cleverly rearranged for various scenes by one actor while the other delivers a monologue; a clever bit of staging that doesn’t detract from the performances.  I would have liked to see a bit more movement during the actual scenes, as a great deal of each scene is performed sitting down.

The initial 15 minutes are a session between a psychiatrist played by Clairman and her patient, played by Webster. Both characters remain seated for pretty much the entire scene, and I feel some movement would have enhanced the dynamic performances of the two. The following scene sees Clairman switch roles to the mother of Webster, and here gives the most dynamic performance of the evening as she moves with startling rapidity from caring mother to emotionally abusive parent and back again. Again, though, almost the entire performance is delivered seated at the dining room table, and I can’t help but wish director Billings had let the actors move a bit to go with the vivid emotions we are seeing and hearing.

This is a play that deals with intense and raw situations between family members that many in the audience will relate to on a personal level. It is well acted, and the performances and strong emotional content of the play make this a show worth seeing.

Event Details

Age Suitability: Parental Guidance (ages 13+)

Genre: Theatre—Comedy, Theatre—Drama

Run Time: 60 mins

Playwright

Patrick Teed

Director

Carly Anna Billings

Performers

Audrey Clairman & Meg Webster

Warnings

Coarse Language