Review: SISTER CITIES Is An Amusing Expression Of A Dysfunctional Family Finding Their Way In the Face Of Death

Friday 14th October 2016,7:30pm, Star of The Sea, Stella Maris College, Manly

Colette Freedman's internationally acclaimed play SISTER CITIES finally comes to Sydney under the astute direction of Roz Riley. This all female story of the reunion of four half-sisters, bought about by their mother's apparent suicide is paired with Suzanne Hauser's short play IF IT WASN'T FOR THE NIGHTS which whares a common thread in death and the comedy of coping.

Hauser's IF IT WASN'T FOR THE NIGHTS utilises the two thrusts of the stage to capture one young woman's preparation for death in the face of cancer. As the single woman facing cancer alone, save for the support of her friend Kay (Erin Thomas) and the plumber (Kurtis Wakefield), Sam (Karli Gilchrist) moves back and forth in her story of loneliness. Presented with an honesty and openness and infused with humour that unfortunately settled uneasily on most of the audience, this is a quick study on isolation that people can feel even when friends and strangers try to help. IF IT WASN'T FOR THE NIGHTS provides an interesting, poignant lead in to SISTER CITIES.

The main event for the night, SISTER CITIES, carries on the theme of death but looks at it from the other side, of the family left behind. The premise of Freedman's play, which has since been adapted for the small screen, is that Mary Baxter's (Ros Richards) four daughters, each with a different father, and named after the city where they were born, come together following Mary's suicide. Each daughter is vastly different and have had varying relationships with their mother and each other resulting in tension and guilt as they are bought together in their mother's apartment in upstate New York. The stage has been filled with accoutrements from Mary's life, old dancing costumes, remnants from the girls childhoods, photographs, papers, pink underwear and a copious amount of vodka. Prior to her death, Mary had been looked after by second eldest daughter Austin (Amy Victoria Brooks) who seems to have retreated from the world with the excuse of looking after her mother. The girls all harbour secrets and Mary held the biggest secret that she only shared with Austin. The manipulative, horny old woman was suffering from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), otherwise known as Lou Gehrig's disease, and had hidden it from Carolina (Liz Harper), Dallas (Samantha Lee) and Baltimore (Isabel Dickson). The hours following Mary's death are filled with a roller coaster of emotions and a liberal dose of humour as the girls bicker, reminisce and console each other.

Freedman's text is witty in its quips and observations and the ensemble rise to the challenge of creating a realistic dialogue and expression of a tense family gathering with fabulous pace and comic timing. As Mary's favourite Austin, Amy Victoria Brooks captures the reclusive best selling author with a realism and honesty as she paints the picture of someone scared of her own success and whether it was a one of aberration. She gives Austin an unease and distance that alludes to something being wrong without giving away her secrets too early. She banters and provokes her sisters, particularly the uptight Carolina and the repressed Dallas whilst forming an alliance with the younger Baltimore. Brooks conveys Austin's care and compassion, inner conflict and dislike of her sisters' stiff principles and attitudes with a nuanced combination of vocal tone, pace, physicality and facial expressions.

As eldest sister Carolina, Liz Harper presents the Seattle lawyer with a restraint and judgment that has her want to control everything whilst criticising her sisters, particularly Austin, despite not having seen their mother for years. She captures the hurt and need to be in charge of something when so much of her perfectly planned world is changing beyond her control, from her mother's death to her husband leaving her.

Samantha Lee presents third daughter Dallas with a prim, preppy stiffness as she tries to convince herself that she does not belong in the family and that her husband Peter is her family now. Whilst the girls tease Carolina for her rigidity, it's Dallas that remains uptight throughout as she conjures the impression that her world is perfect when in reality it's just as flawed as her sisters.

Youngest daughter Baltimore is presented with a freshness and brashness by Isabel Dickson who captures the Gen Y abruptness and freedom her sisters don't have. Baltimore and Austin have the strongest bond as the two more relaxed souls of the quartet but like the others, Baltimore is also harbouring secrets which Dickson slowly gives clues to. Dickson conveys the younger woman's confidence as she challenges her sisters and is comfortable in her own skin in a way her sister's aren't as they still adhere to their mother's mantra of always wearing matching underwear.

Mother Mary, presented in flashback by Ros Richards is presented with a pleading manipulation. Freedman has captured how to explain the debilitating ALS in a variety of ways and Richards presents the feebleness of a woman with a still active mind being trapped in her own body. Richards presents Mary's monologue with a beautiful pace and poignancy as she describes her daughters.

SISTER CITIES is a blend of humour, heart, challenging ethical dilemmas and messed up family dynamics. Brilliantly presented and deserving of much bigger audiences given its content and execution, go and see this fabulous play.

SISTER CITIES

First performance Friday 7th October;
Closes Saturday 22nd October.

Friday and Saturdays at 7.30; Sunday Matinees at 3.00pm
Buy tickets online at trybooking.com.au

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