THE MEMORY OF WATER Comes to Burbage Theatre Co
The Memory of Water marks Burbage’s fourth consecutive partnership/co-production with WomensWork Theatre Collaborative.
By: Stephi Wild Dec. 30, 2025
Burbage Theatre Co will continue their 14th Season with Shelagh Stephenson’s The Memory of Water, directed by Lynne Collinson, starring Burbage Theatre Co artists Rae Mancini, Allison Crews, and Valerie Westagte. The Memory of Water marks Burbage’s fourth consecutive partnership/co-production with WomensWork Theatre Collaborative.
THE MEMORY OF WATER will be presented for 13 performances spanning four weeks from January 15 through February 8 at Burbage Theatre Co’s Wendy Overly Studio Theatre.
Jeff Church, Artistic Director, Burbage Theatre Co, said: “The Memory of Water is dark comedy at its best. It is at once a bittersweet examination of grief – its functions and social manifestations, its direct and rippling impact on family left behind – and a sharp comedy rife with wit and irreverence.”
“Much in keeping with our previous partnerships with WomensWork, Shelagh Stephenson’s play is a unique balance of gravity and levity. It understands something universal: when faced with grief, we don’t become eloquent—we become human. We laugh at the wrong moments, argue over trivial details, misremember the past, and cling to the stories that help us survive. Shelagh Stephenson’s play speaks directly to anyone who has ever lost someone and discovered that mourning is messy, funny, uncomfortable, and deeply revealing. It invites an audience to recognize themselves—unflatteringly and honestly—in the ways families love each other, fail each other, and endure. This is a play that makes you laugh because it tells the truth, and then quietly asks you to consider which of your own memories you’re still protecting.”
“We could not be more thrilled to be partnering for the fourth time with WomensWork Theatre Collaborative, nor to have Lynne Collinson back at the helm after her astounding production of Debbie Tucker Green’s hang last year. We are proud to announce that the three sisters at the center of this play will be played by Burbage Theatre Company resident artists Allison Crews, Valerie Westgate, and Rae Mancini, who is also a member of WWRI.”
“Our team is hard at work bringing to life what is sure to be another compelling partnership. Don’t miss it!”
Burbage Theatre Co’s production of The Memory of Water opens on January 15 and closes on February 8 after 13 performances. All performances will take place at Burbage Theatre Co’s Wendy Overly Studio Theatre, 59 Blackstone Avenue, Pawtucket, RI 02860.
Three sisters return to their childhood home on the eve of their mother’s funeral. As they share stories, clash over contradictions, and unearth long-buried resentments, the sisters struggle with how differently each remembers the same past. Partners and lovers are drawn into the fray, complicating loyalties and revealing how memory can be both a comfort and a weapon. Stephenson’s play balances humor and poignancy in its exploration of grief, family, and the fragile, unreliable narratives that shape our lives.
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