Dorothy Cunningham (Mama) and Karen Harriott (Katherine) in a tense moment. - Contributed Photos

Peter Abrikian, Gleaner Writer

The first staging of a MADKOW play, Not About Eve, was a superb offering from the Michael A. Daley (writer)/Karl O. Williams (director) production company. This powerful drama takes an intimate look at the lives and relationships of a tri-woman family.

Karen Harriott gives us a wonderful rendition of a barely coping central figure in Katherine Shields. We get the sense that lifemay be just a tad too hard for her right now as she tries to balance the pressures of too many men, the corporate world, and a home life on the brink of oblivion.

Sabrena McDonald ably plays her daughter, Kimberly Shields, an adolescent fighting to belong in a family that isn't quite ready to let her be herself. While issues of sexuality and artistic expression surround her, she is not struggling with either of them; all she wants is acceptance.

Agatha Rochester, referred to as 'Mama' by both Katherine and Kimberly, is portrayed by Dorothy Cunningham. She walks the line between matriarch and self-perceived burden, seeking equilibrium on a teetering scale. She also has to grapple with the vast generation gap that develops between herself and her granddaughter.

Intense dialogue

Dorothy Cunningham (Mama) and Sabrena McDonald (Kimberly) attempting to discuss the 'big issue' at hand.

The play's strength lies in the intense dialogue of the three leading ladies. Initially there are a few monologues, which, while allowing us to see the clockwork of the women's minds, are clunky and pure exposition. Their benefit, when weighed against their awkwardness, is moot. As the show proceeds though, these become less frequent and also seem to be more skilfully interwoven.

Though there are no men in the play, they are yet omnipresent, as their influences and pressures are seen, felt and often discussed.

The entire play takes place over a two-day period in the roof garden of the Shields' household. Designed and built by the departed Mr. Shields, and decorated by Kimberly, the set becomes a fourth androgynous character in the family. It is just as important as the three women, as it is the communal sanctuary of each of their souls. Here, on this beautiful roof, their yearnings surface and their kinship is discovered anew.

May MADKOW give us many more plays as compelling as Not About Eve.