Lyndsay Allyn Cox, Arie Thompson and Nikkole Salter in “Our Daughters, Like Pillars” at the Huntington (Photos by T Charles Erickson)
by Michele Markarian
“Our Daughters Like Pillars” – Written by Kirsten Greenidge. Directed by Kimberly Senior. Presented by The Huntington, Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA, 527 Tremont Street, Boston through May 8.
Lavinia Shaw Williams (Nikkole Salter), the oldest sister of a Black family, has organized a week-long stay at an Airbnb in North Conway, New Hampshire, for siblings Octavia (Arie Thompson) and Zelda (Lyndsay Allyn Cox). Their mother, Yvonne (Lizan Mitchell) is there as well; she has been living with Lavinia and Lavinia’s husband, Morris (Postell Pringle). What appears to be a mere vacation is actually part of a larger plan that Lavinia – or Vinny as she’s called – has for her family; to live together forever under one roof. What Vinny hasn’t counted on is Zelda’s arrival with her new self-sustaining tiny house and new boyfriend, Paul (Julian Parker), as well as the arrival of their negligent father’s second wife, Missy Shaw (Cheryl D. Singleton). Family, with all of its flaws, betrayals, loyalties and secrets, are at the heart of the play.
Greenidge’s understanding of siblings and how birth order affects their relationships is absolutely uncanny. Vinny, as the oldest, is the most controlling, living a conventional, upwardly mobile life that seemingly stays within the lines, while Zelda, as the youngest, is the most carefree and rebellious. Octavia is truly in the middle, trying to pull both sibling ends together by making peace. Anyone with siblings will recognize their own family dynamics and their role in it; as the oldest, I inwardly vowed to try and be less uptight after witnessing Vinny’s big sister machinations.
With Marion Williams’s beautifully designed, country-home-in-the-woods set as backdrop, and Kimberley Senior’s naturalistic direction, it’s easy to get absorbed in this family dramedy. Cox is particularly strong as the spikey, independent younger sister, who has to deal with the fact that her older siblings aren’t quite sure she’s capable of taking care of herself. Thompson is touching as the seemingly fragile Octavia, stuck between two opposing forces as well as with a cold husband. Mitchell’s deadpan delivery as the pragmatic and philosophical Yvonne inspired spontaneous applause, and Singleton is oddly sympathetic as the villain-turned-vulnerable Missy Shaw. Parker, as the freeloading boyfriend Paul, is hilarious and earnest, delivering such lines as “Our culture creates so much, too much, and I use that too much for free” in such a way that you find yourself agreeing with him.
The play is three-and-a-half hours long. While this didn’t bother me or my companion as much as we thought it would – I sat through Annie Baker’s The Flick and a four-hour version of Chekov’s Three Sisters wondering where the time went – Act Three doesn’t have the same subtlety and flow as the first two acts. While it’s important for us to realize that Vinny isn’t so much enabling as she is being enabled, her character shifts into a different gear abruptly, leaving explosive ripples in its wake, with no reason – other than she’s fed up trying to unsuccessfully manipulate people – or resolution. While there are a few warning signs, her sudden switch feels forced, and frankly, despicable. Like the family Shaw, the audience remains attached to a family dynamic that’s not particularly satisfying and for which there is no closure. The characters are intriguing enough to deserve more material (what does happen with Octavia and Paul?) that I think Greenidge could take some of the overflow and develop a series of plays about them. This may sound funny considering I just finished witnessing a three-and-a-half hour play, but I would be interested to know more. For tickets and information, go to: https://www.huntingtontheatre.org/
