I was able to catch the second to last performance of Mother Play and I’m so glad I didn’t miss out on this one – it was incredible and gave me all the feels.
Show Name: Mother Play
Show Type: Play
Location: Hayes Theatre, NYC
Date Seen: June 15, 2024 @ 7PM
I was able to apply as a volunteer usher and work this show, and see the production for free! With how difficult tickets were to get, I’m glad I had this opportunity and I really enjoyed ushering.
Mother Play is, as the name suggests, a play “in five evictions” – a story of a mother, daughter, and son from their childhood into adulthood and their evictions.
The play has only three actors, Celia Keenan-Bolger as Martha, Jessica Lange as Phillis, and Jim Parsons as Carl. All three of these actors blew me away – I was not familiar with any of them before this but I know they all hold prestige and I can fully see why. Their talent on stage really shines.
This isn’t a happy story – it’s messy, as families tend to be, and always felt realistic. It’s set from 1964 to the 21st century and you can feel the feelings of the 1970s/80s in this show. Both Carl and Martha realize they are queer as they become adults, and Phillis is not accepting of this lifestyle choice. It’s a harsh reality many had to face during that time and its heartbreaking to see on stage.
I particularly loved the relationship between Carl and Martha, siblings supporting each other when their parent wouldn’t. The ending is devastating but so beautifully acted out.
The original runtime was 1 hour and 45 minutes, but this show was 1 hour and 52 minutes – the house staff said as the play was coming to the end of its run, the actors became more emotional each night, lingering on moments longer, and that truly showed on stage.
This show closed on June 16, but I’m hoping it might transfer to another theater to extend it’s run – if it does, I highly recommend it, I would love to experience this show again.
Do you like plays that deal with real world issues?
Frayed Books 