Mother Sisters 

Reviewed by Taylor Kass
The Echo Theatre Company
Through October 27

RECOMMENDED

You never forget your firsts. Playwright Makaela Vogel has curated her unique family story into a “docu-play” featuring the oral histories of each of her eight aunts who grew up in a Catholic family in New Mexico. It’s a simple, straightforward series of direct-address monologues with minimal staging by director Sky Paley, each woman answering the off-stage prompt “Tell me about the first time you left home.” The result is an emotionally-rich collection of wonderfully specific storytelling which paints a vivid portrait of an exceptional family while tapping into universal experiences of womanhood and growing up.

The play is structured around seemingly-verbatim interviews of Vogel’s now middle-aged and elderly aunts reflecting on events of the 1960’s and 70’s, creating a unique challenge in perspective for a cast primarily in their twenties. However, they all successfully achieve that delicate balance of retelling their characters’ stories with the objectivity of experience but without sacrificing a sense of immediacy. While the roles are double-cast, standouts from the performance I attended included Gloria Ines as an idealistic nun fighting for reform and Marti Skoler reflecting on her teen years trapped in marriage and motherhood much too young. Sami Cavestani also expertly portrays the vulnerability of a girl learning to set boundaries in a chaotic world, while layering in the more mature perspective of a woman with affecting tenderness for her younger self.

One character who is absent from the stage yet vividly present in each of the sisters’ stories is the titular mother of the family. She emerges as a complicated figure, somewhat emotionally distant, clearly overwhelmed with the burden of caring for 12 children, yet fiercely loved by each of them. And, as the eighth sister concedes, the children gave their mother a lot to contend with – including teen pregnancies, international moves, and a hitchhiking hippie. There are many paths to take in the search to be “at home with [one]self,” as the young nun puts it. But first, you have to leave home.

Echo Theatre Company, 3269 Casitas Ave, Atwater; Wed. – Thurs. 8 p.m.; through October 27. www.EchoTheaterCompany.com or 310-307-3753. Running time: 1 hour with no intermission.