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The relationship between sisters has been the subject of stories as old as time itself. From the three mysterious Fates of Greek mythology to the howling witches of MacBeth, to Chekov's Three Sisters, and Hannah's sisters of Woody Allen, the subject has always fascinated. Now English playwright, Shelagh Stevenson, has written a wise and funny play about three sisters reuniting for their mother's funeral, The Memory of Water, and the results are a wonderful new addition to that illustrious history of sister literature.
Stage 3 Theatre Company will present the area premiere of The Memory of Water on Friday, February 11th at 8pm as the opening play of Season 2000. The Memory of Water will run through March 12th.
The Memory of Water was first presented in London in 1998, where it received unqualified rave reviews and moved from its off-West End theatre to the West End for an extended run. The London Sunday Times said, "Shelagh Stephenson's writing is barbed, lyrical, witty & full of a rare emotional intelligence", and the Independent called it, "Wickedly funny and moving."
The Memory of Water is a play about three sisters who return home to the north of England for their mother's funeral. The ebb and flow of emotion, and the ever-changing alliances between these sisters as they try to come to terms with each other and their loss is a story as old as life itself. As the title indicates, the play deals with the realm of memory. Each sister holds distinct memories of their collective childhoods, each has her own perspective and interpretation of what these memories mean. At times, the boundaries between individual memories and experiences blur and family stories, told many times over, become the property of everyone, shaped and embellished until the story actually replaces the memory.
In an interview, the author, Shelagh Stevenson, well-known in England for her radio plays, said she initially started to write the play about a birthday party. During the course of the play's development, The Memory of Water pg. 2 she lost her own mother, and the subject shifted from one family ceremony to another. Yet the idea of a family and its stories, shaped by the traditions of such ceremonies, bound together by laughter and tears is still at the heart of this ultimately joyous and life affirming play.
Stage 3 has assembled a stellar cast of actors for the production. Greeta Ahart, who appeared last season in Not Waving and The Return to Morality, plays Theresa, the eldest sister. A health food fanatic and a natural born organizer, Theresa has never ventured far from home and so has become the unofficial custodian of memories and Mum's final caretaker. Maryann Curmi, seen last season in Mere Mortals, is Mary, the middle sister who left home and made a successful professional life for herself while forgetting, somewhere along the way, to make a personal life as well. Lillian McLeod, seen most recently in The Quick-Change Room, plays Catherine, the youngest sister. Convinced she was never really wanted ("Mum said I was the menopause"), she has led a wild and rootless life of travel and experimentation, always looking for elusive love and acceptance. The chemistry between these three gifted actresses and their characters is not to be missed. Also appearing in the cast are Sarah Grimes who also played in The Return to Morality, well-known Modesto actor, Jack Souza, making his first appearance at Stage 3, and Stan Emmons.
Directing The Memory of Water is Stage 3 Artistic Director, Barbara Segal-Mill, with Gail Russell, Costume Designer, Ron Madonia, Set and Lighting Designer, and Jennifer Thurman, Stage Manager.
