by Paula Kaplan-Reiss
Audience members to Home Made Theater‘s production of ‘night, Mother, the 1983 Pulitzer prize winning play by Marsha Norman, are led through the kitchen and living room of a small country home as we are seated, creating immediate intimacy with this mother daughter drama. We are warned in the program of suicidal themes that are about to unfold over the next hour and a half. We sit back and try to be prepared.
The set, designed by William E. Fritz and Properties Designer Maura Pickett, offers simple décor yet essential details such as the numerous prescription containers which line the sink, the leftover dishes on the kitchen table, and the ever-present ticking of the kitchen clock, reminding the viewer that the passage of time is critical.
Early on, we learn that middle aged Jessie, played by Antoinette Fasino, a woman who has struggled for years with mental illness and epilepsy is living with her mother, Mama, played by Terri Storti, a widow. In attempting to locate her late father’s gun, Jessie calmly informs Mama she will be taking her life in a matter of hours. Feeling tired, hurt, sad, and used, Jessie describes her growing misery over the past ten years and her unwavering conviction to follow through with her plan. Stunned Mama is left to comprehend the incomprehensible and do everything in her power to change her daughter’s mind.
While Norman’s dialogue is compelling, Director Jonathan Hefter effectively keeps the pace moving and the actors’ emotions changing to enable us to endure the conflict between mother and daughter which we are sure will not end well.
Terri Storti as Mama and Antoinette Fasino as Jessie in Home Made Theater’s production of Marsha Norman’s “‘night, Mother.” Photo: Dawn Oesch. 
Antoinette Fasino as Jessie in Home Made Theater’s production of Marsha Norman’s “‘night, Mother.” Photo: Dawn Oesch. 
Terri Storti as Mama in Home Made Theater’s production of Marsha Norman’s “‘night, Mother.” Photo: Dawn Oesch. 
Fasino, as Jessie, does not look close to middle-aged, yet conveys her years of hard living, her well-thought out decision to end her life, and her motivation to take care of her mother after her death. The conversation sounds so similar to how a dying spouse might speak with the future survivor: where tools and necessities are located, when bills get paid, how the funeral service will be planned. She thinks of and plans for everything, including everyone in her life who will be left behind. Her matter-of-fact style is in distinct contrast to Mama’s escalating fear. She takes us into the life she has led, the little girl she was and the woman who is left. While mostly keeping the emotions which have plagued Jessie under wraps, Fasino allows us to see Jessie’s anguish at selected moments, and the tight relationship she has with Mama. She has the difficult job of convincing all of us her life is not worth saving. No easy task, and, yet, we get it.
Storti, as Mama, is left to try every tack a loving parent would take to prevent the unthinkable. Reasoning turns to attempting to call for help. Anger switches to empathy. Accusations of Jessie feeling sorry for herself and acting like a brat shift to self-blame and hopelessness. Storti brings us through every feeling and forces us to identify with the unimaginable terror and desperation she feels. In ninety minutes, Storti leaves us wrung out, just as her character is.
Costumes, designed by Dianne O’Neill, leave Jessie barefoot, in nondescript loose-fitting cardigan, jeans and shirt. She seems ready to go nowhere. In contrast, Mama is in fresh pastel pajamas, a matching floral robe and slippers, having little clue as to the thoughts and mood her daughter is suffering.
‘night, Mother is a painful play to watch. It is probably more difficult to perform. Yet, the Home Made Theater brings talented performers dedicated to these heart-wrenching roles to tell an important and, unfortunately, too common story of depression and suicide. Norman’s play imagines those who are left to witness unrelenting despair and those who are left behind.
‘night, Mother by Marsha Norman, directed by Jonathan Hefter, was produced by Home Made Theater March 24-April 2, 2023, at the Dee Sarno Theater, inside Saratoga Arts, 320 Broadway in Saratoga Springs. CAST: Antoinette Fasino as Jessie and Terri Storti as Mama. Scenic Designer William E. Fritz, Lighting Designer Matt Kopans, Sound Designer Barry Streifert, Costume Designer Dianne O’Neill, Properties Designer Maura Pickett, and Stage Manager Caitlin Wickes.
Content warning: This play includes themes of suicide throughout. loud sound effect that may be triggering for some individuals.
Performances are Fridays and Saturdays, March 24th, 25th, 31st, and April 1st at 7:30 pm, and Saturdays and Sundays, March 25th, 26th, April 1st, and 2nd, at 2 pm. Tickets are available at Home Made Theater’s website, www.HomeMadeTheater.org, or by calling (518) 587-4427 during business hours.