MOTHER PLAY Regional Premiere to Open at Uptown Players
Cara Statham Serber, Leslie Marie Collins and Ryan Michael Friedman star in the Cheryl Denson-directed production.
Uptown Players concludes its 2025–2026 season with the regional premiere of Mother Play: a play in five evictions by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paula Vogel. Directed by Cheryl Denson, the production runs August 21–30, 2026, at Theatre Three's Norma Young Arena Stage.
Inspired by Vogel's own family, the semi-autobiographical play follows Phyllis and her children, Martha and Carl, from 1962 to the present through a series of life's 'evictions.' Blending humor with emotional honesty, the drama explores family dynamics, queerness, resilience, memory, and the complicated bonds that endure across generations.
The Uptown Players production stars Cara Statham Serber as Phyllis, Leslie Marie Collins as Martha, and Ryan Michael Friedman as Carl.
Craig Lynch, Executive Producer of Uptown Players, said, "For more than two decades, Uptown Players has sought out stories that challenge audiences while creating empathy and connection. Paula Vogel has written a play that is deeply personal yet universally recognizable. It is a fitting conclusion to our 2025–2026 season because it reminds us that family, in all its complexity, remains one of the most powerful stories we can tell."
Director Cheryl Denson added, "What makes Mother Play so compelling is its honesty. Vogel gives us flawed, funny, resilient people who are trying to love one another the best they can. I think audiences will see pieces of themselves somewhere in this family."
As the final production of Uptown Players' 2025–2026 season, Mother Play: a play in five evictions continues the company's commitment to presenting significant contemporary works that amplify diverse voices while telling stories that resonate with all audiences.
Mother Play: A Play in Five Evictions
By Paula Vogel
Regional Premiere
August 21–30, 2026
Ticket Price - $45 - $60
Theatre Three – Norma Young Arena Stage
2688 Laclede Street, Suite 120
Dallas, Texas 75201
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