Marion Bridge

Community theatre audiences are surprisingly miserly when it comes to standing ovations, but everyone was on their feet for Marion Bridge. Dartmouth Players’ season-ender brings together Daniel MacIvor’s sharp writing, Ian MacDermaid’s competent direction and top-notch performances by Leslie Milne, Paige Smith and Katherine Tufts. It’s the story of a dysfunctional family (Are there any other kinds?) that comes together over their mother’s death bed to pick old scabs and heal old wounds. The chemistry among the three actors is remarkable, with Milne as the hard-living prodigal daughter, Tufts as the pious good-girl and Smith as the resentful overlooked youngest. What makes this play stand out is the writing and acting that moves these characters from well-worn stereotypes to interesting, complex and believable women. Run, don’t walk, to get your tickets. —Kate Watson