Eleemosynary’s cast features Kara Whitney (as Artie), Kayti Barnett (as Echo, a 16-year-old National Spelling Bee champion) and Maureen Miko (as Artie’s mother and Echo’s eccentric grandmother).
Stone Soup Theatre’s Eleemosynary: A Compelling Story of Hope
By Laura Spruce Wight
As director Mari Geasair points out, Lee Blessing’s Eleemosynary is above all else, a story of hope. This makes it a fitting play to see during these tough times. Blessing eloquently weaves the story of three women, Echo, a 16-year-old National Spelling Bee champion, her eccentric grandmother, Dorothea, and distant mother, Artie, triumphing in their own ways over seemingly irreconcilable differences.
On a simple stage with a crossword painted in the background hiding words such as forgive, worthy and home, the story of these women and a journey that embodies these three words unfolds. There’s something for everyone in Eleemosynary, but it would strike a particularly sentimental chord with mothers and daughters (young and old). Artie states early on, “Never have a daughter. She won’t like you.” The comment is made as she remembers the torture and humiliation of her mother forcing her to try to fly (literally) at age 15.
The play runs for 90 minutes with no intermission. The subject matter is mature at times (be prepared to discuss issues such as abortion), so it is most appropriate for older children aged 12 and up.
While Eleemosynary deals seriously with the heartache of strained relationships, there is plenty of laughter, mainly at lines that speak those universal truths that we can all relate to.
The title is the final word Echo spells in her bittersweet National Spelling Bee win. It means charitable. As the economy places stresses on families that can strain relationships, the word serves as a reminder that even in the most trying times, each of us holds this simple power.
IF YOU GO Where: Stone Soup Theatre, 4029 Stone Way N., Seattle
When: Feb. 19 to March 15; 8 p.m. Thursday through Sunday; 2 p.m. Sunday matinee.
Admission: Friday and Saturday nights $23.50; Sundays $18; students and seniors $15.00. Thursdays pay-what-you-will.
