This free Fringe space is unusually suited to Jessica Phillippi’s play, which is cleverly staged by Director Deborah Hannan. Phillippi and Amy Conway have great chemistry as Leah and Scarlet and seem to suit their parts perfectly. As the characters narrate stories of an abusive household, they relive the gruelling tensions, painful escapism, and vulnerability that plagued them during various stages of their lives.
The traverse staging makes excellent use of the ornate frame between the adjoining rooms of an upstairs pub room so that the the movements of the two girls brilliantly reflect the mirroring imagery in the play. The audience became part of the performance as the helpless onlookers to the troubled upbringing of the sisters. This staging creates an interesting perspective on Leah’s psyche, much to the performances advantage, alleviating what would otherwise have been quite tedious without the visually interesting setup.
The script delved into uncomfortable issues of a broken American family home, with alcoholism, sexual promiscuity, violence, murder and rape at the forefront, all of which are thankfully handled with delicate direction. The girls’ performances portray a life full of pain from infancy to young adulthood, but are emotionally stunted. They failed to engage the audience in what could have been a very intense drama. However, the performance was a balanced portrayal of a heavily loaded script, presenting enough to its audience so as to leave an impression without weighing down on them too heavily.
