My overall impression
What a wonderful and relevant hour of theater! Many of us are heading into a time of life where navigating a career while caring for our older parents is a reality. Laura Carson’s story of shifting parental relationships, struggle, acceptance and ultimately emerging changed is brutally honest while also being relate-able, funny and heartbreaking.
Laura welcomes the audience into an incredibly challenging part of her life like an old friend sipping sweet tea while swinging on the front porch. Her southern roots shine as she weaves her story in a way that keeps us engaged and wanting to know more. Her ability to shift between different characters effortlessly keeps the audience with her as the story progresses at a great pace. The way she portrays her father becoming more and more frail is incredibly skilled and touching.
Her ultimate admission of relief at her father’s passing gives the rest of us permission to talk about the tough topics of aging, end of life decisions, quality of life and ultimately being able to release someone with whom you have a complicated relationship with incredible love. A truly graceful piece by a wonderful artist.
