A quote from the character of The Son: “I pay for her life, my brothers and I. All of it, for years. And I want to stop paying for it.” He is referring to his mother, widowed at the beginning of the play. The Son is frankly not a big fan, to the say the least. She left the family when he was a boy. And now mother receives help from her children as she starts slipping into old age, incapable of realistically being independent anymore. The Son takes on the role of Treasurer for his mother’s financial affairs. The usual topics are touched on including housing, money, health, forgetfulness and decline.
What separates this play from the usual, however, is how much this young author packs into 95 minutes. We start with The Son (Peter Friedman, excellent) speaking directly to the audience in a confessional tone lamenting that he is going to hell. We overhear phone conversations with the children (middle aged and older) debating their mother’s options. We watch the mother and various interactions inside and outside the family. We see ordinary lives complicated with family baggage while facing the inevitable passage of time. We consider responsibilities and how they are examined. There are so many quiet thoughtful moments that you cannot help but fill in the story from your own perspectives and personal histories.
The Treasurer felt a bit overstuffed to me and part of the ending seemed oddly fantastical and symbolically heavy handed. That said, the play is interesting and complex. The mother is played by Deanna Dunagan, the Tony Award winner from August: Osage County. Ida is selfish and not likable. The performance is so good that you both dislike and sympathize with her. Marinda Anderson and Pun Bandhu take on a bunch of roles and are also terrific. All of this is tenderly staged by the inventive David Cromer (Man From Nebraska, Tribes, The Band’s Visit, Adding Machine). The Treasurer was written by Max Posner, a young playwright worth watching. A worthwhile and uncomfortable memory play, especially recommended if this situation feels relevant to your life today.