Broken Thread
Written by D-Davis, Directed by Miles Sternfeld
As part of the Femme Collective
The Theater at the 14th Street Y at 344 East 14th Street, New York, NY 10003
January 9th - February 1st, 2025
When a production is good, it feels like everything has happened naturally and that no work at all has gone into the performance. You don’t see the hand of the director. You don’t hear the playwright looking for the right word. The actors, well they must be playing characters close to themselves. And you may forget about the design altogether. You don’t notice the costumes, or subtle lighting shifts. Everything has been boiled down to its essence, as if this was always how it was supposed to be.
But nothing could be further from the truth.
You enter the Theater at 14 Y to a baby grand piano and chandelier bordered by a square of light that makes up the playing space. Spare costumes are hung left and right. And, there are a few chairs. A doorbell rings and the sisters one by one come to the door to greet the photographer summoned by their mother who may or may not allow for the furniture to be moved.
From this simple exchange, we get the differences between the sisters, their varying relationships to their mother, and a description of a room filled with items that hold memories or to others “clutter”. When mother does enter, she is simultaneously everything each daughter has described.
Later, we find that there is another sister. One who did not come to the door. One who ruined the last family photo.
As the actors spin the baby grand from one position to another, we move through time and space. Are they children waiting for their piano lessons? Is the gifted daughter off studying at conservatory? Are they back in their mother’s living room? This piano has been the centerpiece of all of their lives in one way or another. Their love for it or their ambivalence towards it shaping who they become. The simple shift of perspective changes everything.
The production stars Laura Lee Botsacos as Therese, the Mother, Sydney Kamel as Camille, Jenna Krasowski as Adeline, Alyssa LaVacca as Aurora, and Ella Raymont as Zander. Each of these actors is exceptional in their own right, but their work as an ensemble is truly stellar. No one over plays their hand. They are tuned into one another. They are present and open while navigating the nuances.
Miles Sternfeld’s direction feels effortless, but you know each twist and turn is carefully choreographed. The production features scenic consultation by Brandan Gonzales, costume design by Cassandra Paras, sound design by Mitchell Sulkowski, and lighting design by Willem Hinternhoff. The precision with which their work blends together speaks to Sternfeld’s overall vision.
D-Davis, whose script has united these artists, says she was “groomed since elementary school to play classical piano” much like the characters in Broken Thread. Her script is elegantly concise; her characters rich and dynamic. She reveals the story slowly while keeping the action moving. The 90-min production went by in a flash.
Broken Thread is one of those beautiful productions that gives the illusion of simplicity. But the trained eye knows that shows like this only result from working, reworking and rehearsal – making it all look so easy, like a concert pianist who flies across the keys, light and nimble.
Click HERE for tickets.
Reviewed by Nicole Jesson.
Published by Theatre Beyond Broadway on January 12th, 2025. All rights reserved.