Charlotte Stay Close is a brutally funny and moving play about three young people, who must navigate love, loss and and the complicated bond between sisters. Charlotte is just days away from dying of cancer and wants her older sister Kathryn to go on to live the happiest life possible. Unfortunately, there’s a giant obstacle standing in the way of that possibility: Kathryn.
Charlotte’s hospice room morphs into a breeding ground for triangulation including marital conflict between Kathryn and Dustin. Issues of sibling rivalry and marital love are put to the test as death brings disruption and confusion.
Charlotte Stay Close
Reviews
In this atmosphere of anguish and despair, the actors give stunning performances. Every moment rings true, every piece of dialogue is honored. As Kathryn, Tarah Pollock – somehow, somewhere, in a way that is almost impossible to track – creates sympathy and a shade of understanding for this profoundly damaged character. Jenny Soo, as Charlotte, mines new levels of heartbreak. By the time it comes, her death will likely feel like a personal loss to the audience, and this reaction has been more than earned. Dustin is, at times, torn between the sisters. Andy Shephard makes his role in this triumvirate devastatingly painful and surprisingly charming.
The performers are aided by an impeccable script that brings humor to situations that feel impossible to make light of, by direction that makes everything work in seamless harmony, and by technical aspects that are a collective masterclass on how to stage a play.
The result is a production that is not to be missed.
Charlotte Stay Close doesn’t offer any sort of resolve or cathartic loving send off, just bickering until the bitter end. Typical family drama.
In this atmosphere of anguish and despair, the actors give stunning performances. Every moment rings true, every piece of dialogue is honored. As Kathryn, Tarah Pollock – somehow, somewhere, in a way that is almost impossible to track – creates sympathy and a shade of understanding for this profoundly damaged character. Jenny Soo, as Charlotte, mines new levels of heartbreak. By the time it comes, her death will likely feel like a personal loss to the audience, and this reaction has been more than earned. Dustin is, at times, torn between the sisters. Andy Shephard makes his role in this triumvirate devastatingly painful and surprisingly charming.
The performers are aided by an impeccable script that brings humor to situations that feel impossible to make light of, by direction that makes everything work in seamless harmony, and by technical aspects that are a collective masterclass on how to stage a play.
The result is a production that is not to be missed.
Charlotte Stay Close doesn’t offer any sort of resolve or cathartic loving send off, just bickering until the bitter end. Typical family drama.