Review: PRECARIOUS at Mosaic Theater Company

In its world premiere at Mosaic Theater Company, Precarious begins at a simmer and quickly works toward a boil. Vi arrives unannounced at her daughter’s apartment just as a dangerous heatwave envelopes the city.

It seems that on the heels of her recent retirement, Vi (Kimberly Schraf) has been making some big decisions – donating her car and most of her belongings, preparing her house for sale – maybe this is the best way to shrink her carbon footprint? Vi is consumed with anxiety over the climate crisis.

With rolling suitcase in tow, she makes her way (on foot and by public transit) to the tight NYC apartment of her daughter Tillie (Zoe Walpole) and her partner Drew (Jonathan Del Palmer). The visit is unexpected; mother and daughter rarely speak.

As temperatures rise, the air conditioner fails, composting attracts pests and deeply personal decisions unfold within earshot of everyone, the apartment becomes a pressure cooker for an already strained mother-daughter relationship. Meaningful conversation happens in fits and starts and we see how complex the intergenerational relationship is.

The small cast is powerful and assured. Kimberly Schraf, Zoe Walpole and Jonathan Del Palmer are honest, raw and engaging. Schraf anchors the production with a nuanced, moving portrayal of Vi, who is lost and lonely, consumed by anxiety over the environment, and sadly distanced from her daughter. Yet with all this depth, Schraf’s comedic moments stand out as memorable highlights of the show.

Mosaic Theater Company’s world premiere of Precarious by Steph Del Rosso and directed Jaki Bradley is an ambitious and risky undertaking. It’s a big bet for any theater to usher a new work from the page to the stage and introduce the play to audiences. Mosaic has a strong history of committing to new work.

Precarious is a promising play that takes on big, weighty questions and complicated relationships, but it meanders. The play never fully settles on whether it wants to be a dark comedy, a climate-crisis cautionary tale or an intimate family drama.

At 95 minutes without intermission, the show feels longer because of uneven pacing. This was most evident in the final stretch which includes major revelations, relationship shifts, a literal big bang … and then 10 to 15 more minutes of conversation that adds little insight.

But the earnestness and yearning, the worries, the quest for a healthy and stable future, the desire for connection, are powerful driving forces of Precarious – thanks in large part to the talented and memorable cast.

The production’s design team makes equally significant contributions. Misha Kachman’s scenic design traps us in a hot New York City one-bedroom, with couch serving as guest room and nearby desk as home office. Everyone is on top of each other and little is private. Kachman’s exposed-brick wall doubles as a clever scrim, allowing the audience to witness ostensibly private conversations through the apartment walls.

Not only does Minjoo Kim’s lighting design make the scrim magic work, but the lighting design ushers us from tight apartment to stormy blackout to the respite of outdoor nature.

Whether it is the squeak of a mouse, the boom of thunder, or the noise of incessant city traffic, Kenny Neal’s sound design immerses us in the environment in and outside the apartment.

Contemporary costumes designed by Jeannette Christensen share important details of the character’s ages, means and attitudes. And, as characters shed layers of costumes, the audience is mindful of the oppressive heat in the unairconditioned apartment.

Aoife Creighton’s props are spot on. The tiny little glass bowls that are pressed into service to unsuccessfully catch rainwater, the Gatorade bottle that serves as an ice pack, the candles that light the way in a dark night and the frying pan surprisingly wielded in bad-ass fashion are critical parts of the story.

Mosaic deserves credit for championing new work. While Precarious has not yet fully solved its structural challenges, it demonstrates considerable promise and offers three compelling performances worth seeing. Kimberly Schraf, Zoe Walpole and Jonathan Del Palmer are a strong cast with touching and memorable moments that linger well beyond curtain call.

Runtime: Approximately 95 minutes with no intermission

Precarious by Steph Del Rosso, directed by Jaki Bradley, is presented by Mosaic Theater Company. It is performed at the Atlas Performing Arts Center’s Sprenger Theatre, 1333 H Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. The production runs through June 28, 2026, with performances Thursday through Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m., and matinees on Saturdays and Sundays at 3 p.m. For tickets and schedule, accessible performance information, special events, attendance policies, and further information, visit the company's website at mosaictheater.org.

Cast

Jonathan Del Palmer (Drew), Kim Schraf (Vi), Zoe Walpole (Tillie)

Creative/Production Team

Steph Del Rosso (Playwright), Jaki Bradley (Director), Jeannette Christensen (Costume Designer), Misha Kachman (Scenic Designer), Minjoo Kim (Lighting Designer), Kenny Neal (Sound Designer), Aoife Creighton (Properties Designer), Sierra Young (Intimacy and Violence Director), Shayna O'Neill (Stage Manager), Isabella Tapia (Assistant Stage Manager), Ian Vespermann (Sound Engineer)

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