In his production From Door to Door, playwright James Sherman engages audiences in an insightful commentary on familial upbringings, and the subtle effects a mother’s influence has on one’s personality, beliefs and decision-making behaviors as an adult. While the play—currently part of the matinee series at Memories Ballroom Dinner Theater—features three generations of women from a Jewish family, audience members don’t have to be Jewish or even mothers to relate to this dramatic comedy’s universal themes of bravery, love and understanding.
From Door to Door is smartly staged in the round with minimal props and lovely costumes that help depict the passing of time. The show begins in 1999 with Mary (Lynn Klemm) sitting Shiva after her mother’s death. Her daughter Deborah (Heather Hernandez) suggests she finish mourning and encourages her to pursue her dream from childhood to be an artist. A memory is triggered, and we are whisked effortlessly back in time to when Mary is 14 and with her mother, Bessie (Mary Buchel), in the kitchen of their suburban Chicago home in 1936. Over the next 90 minutes, we are enveloped in a funny, heartwarming tribute to three strong females trying to make sense of marriage, family, commitment and growing old—all with varying expectations. Excellent lighting design by Bob Gosewehr, which guides us through numerous changes of time and location, paired with the trio of actresses’ well-defined, relatable characterizations from childhood to twilight years, allows for a seamless storyline.
Buchel delivers an enrapturing performance as a pragmatic immigrant Jewish mother who has kept her accent, much of her culture and fear of the world. Through her, Sherman invites us to reflect on the immense impact our families (particularly mothers) have on a child’s growth and life path. An absolute pleasure to watch in action, Buchel is incredibly consistent in both personality—even as Bessie opens up to living more fully in her older years—and Yiddish accent.
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Klemm navigates Mary as a woman torn between the status quo she learned as a child—that dreams and college don’t put food on the table, marriage does—and women’s liberation. As it often happens in real life, Mary defaults to regurgitating turns-of-phrase straight from her mother’s mouth (even ones she despised herself!) to her own maturing daughter. It’s interesting commentary, as Mary doesn’t recognize the dated ideals or hypocritical nature of the passed-down phrases in comparison to how she actually raised her daughter in an era of greater opportunity.
Deborah, played with compassion and verve by Hernandez, rightly questions Mary’s conflicting advice in a delightfully fast-paced, hard-hitting scene that addresses the family’s Jewish faith and ideals. Their conversation also touches on how mothers of both Millennials and Gen-Xers feared their daughters would repeat mistakes made generations before. Deborah ultimately embraces the contemporary world by making her own choices and bucks unclear expectations about what it means to be Jewish, yet she’s open to carrying on a legacy and giving her own daughter the opportunity to choose how she wants to recognize her ancestral faith. All three actresses embody their roles with grace, making for an enjoyable, thought-provoking experience.
From Door to Door is a beautiful look into how we ever-aging human beings navigate our intertwining past, current reality and the unknown of the future as individuals and a family unit. Mary says if she were to paint a self-portrait, she’d have to paint everyone—her mama, papa, husband, daughter, daughter’s husband, grandchild and so forth—because pieces of our identity stem from all those we love and who love us within our lives. This inspiring piece of theater reminds us to recognize and appreciate our own self-portrait for the beautiful collection of experiences and people that it is.
Show runs through May 18 at 1077 Lake Drive, Port Washington. Go with the meal-and-the-show option—Memories’ delicious chicken marsala and famous marshmallow fluff come highly recommended! For more information and tickets, call 262-284-6850 or visit memoriesballroom.com.
