If you ask me what this play is about, I will tell you that it takes place over the course of one day. We meet a family preparing to throw a birthday party for a grandmother we never see. They speculate if the father that they haven't seen in twenty years will make an appearance. Each character gets to fantasize what it would be like if the absent father were to come to the party, or if they were to run into him. Through their fantasies, we get too see different versions of him. We see their what-if's played out.

Through the course of the play, we get to explore ideas of different types and meanings of love. Parental love, romantic love, possessive love, non monogamous love, to name a few.

But that's the answer in a nutshell.

Needless to say, a play about a family is going to be complex.

Each of the five characters are written fairly. Each gets to show and tell their own personal truths. No one is made out to be a villain. Each believes they did and are doing what was best and right for them.

"You shouldn't turn away from what's true".

At one of our first rehearsals we mused over how it seems like whatever project you're working on at any given moment seems to have something to do directly with what's going on in your life, or something you need. I don't find this coincidental.

I used to take pride in how black and white I lived my life. There was no in between for me. Only as I've gotten older and experienced more did I start to not only see but understand the gray area. And when you start to understand, it becomes nearly impossible to judge. You see both sides of each argument.

That's the perfect mindset in which to play Dana, who I like to think of as a glamorous hippie. I have loved every minute of how much fun it's been creating this character.

Even if you haven't personally lived through the particular scenario(s) of the play, you'll still relate. No family is perfect as we all know. Maybe you've made a mistake. Maybe you've drifted apart from someone. Maybe you had to cut someone out of your life. Maybe someone cut you out of theirs. In some way, we all know what it's like to experience the "presence of absence".

So come see our smart, magical, interesting and beautiful show. You might laugh. You might cry, and you might leave pondering some new what-if's.

(a man enters) runs now through December 4, 2011. Tickets available online or by calling the Box Office: 801.363.7522.