Amy DeBourget, Sarah Boughton and Carolyn Reese Crotty (Photo by Scotty Martin)
There are dysfunctional families north of the U.S. border as depicted in Canadian playwright Daniel MacIvor’s Marion Bridge, currently receiving its West Coast Premiere at Sons of Semele Theater. The action takes place in the MacKeigan family home on the island of Cape Breton off the coast of Nova Scotia. The three MacKeigan sisters have reunited to keep a death watch on their soon to expire mother. Agnes (Amy DeBourget) is a struggling actress in Toronto with maxed out credit cards and unresolved issues with her mother. Agnes had a teenage pregnancy and was sent away to a convent to have the baby which was then adopted. On her return to Cape Breton, she finds out her now rebellious teenage daughter is unhappy with her adopted family. Agnes intends to befriend her. Theresa (Carolyn Reese Crotty) is a nun whose order runs a farm and where Theresa says she is very happy. She may be losing her faith. Louise (Sarah Boughton), the youngest daughter is very mannish and considered strange. She loves trucks and is fixated on a TV soap opera where she feels she can identify more with the outrageous characters than the real people in her life. The sisters slowly discover each other’s secrets and reconnect their frayed familial bonds. The trio of actresses gives strong performances under Don Boughton’s direction. MacIvor has written a detailed and revealing monologues for all three which are the highlights of the production.
Son of Semele Theater, 3301 Beverly Blvd. in Los Angeles. Ends Sept. 24. www.sonsofsemele.org