The Firelight Theater’s fall play, “Mary Jane,” written by Pulitzer and Tony award nominated playwright Amy Herzog, is “very much of the moment,” according to artistic director Nora Fiffer.
“Our criteria for choosing the play this year was, where is the warmth, the lift, the light? Is the story life affirming? And this play is; it’s about celebrating everyday small moments and milestones, and keeping that perspective of just having things we can be grateful for every day,” Fiffer said. “It’s a story about about how we find joy.”
The play centers on Mary Jane, a single mother with a “full plate of responsibilities.”
“‘Mary Jane’ is the story of an optimist. She is someone who really sees the world with some sunlight on it,” Fiffer said. “It’s a celebration of parenthood, sisterhood, and friendship. The play is beautiful, funny, and brilliantly written, and it hovers just above reality.”
Fiffer hopes the play will lift up the audience in “these challenging times.”
“Theater’s task is to both reflect what is happening in the world and hopefully to send the message that in the end it is all worth it. Things are hard right now in so many ways, but we must keep going even in the most difficult times,” Fiffer said.
The cast of “Mary Jane” is an all-female ensemble of many of Firelight’s core actors, including Fiffer, who has not starred in a Firelight production since the company’s opening season. The cast includes Sarah Sandback, Laura Carden, Amanda Sennet and Jazmina Creamer-MacNeil, with four actors playing multiple roles. “Mary Jane” is directed by Jason Lambert.
Fiffer says “Mary Jane” is unusual in that all the characters are united against outside forces.
“ ‘Mary Jane’ is a little unusual because every character is an ally of the others. The conflict, or the drama, is from the external circumstances, but the people in the play are all allies,” she said. “It’s intergenerational, with actors of different ages; it’s an exchange of friendship and listening and companionship that spans generations.”
Fiffer says the Firelight team “labors over the decision” of deciding which plays to perform, and that she reads between 50 and 100 new plays each time before they select a new work.
“We are very selective with what we perform. Each play we do is aligned with what we want to be sharing, and each play fits our audience and our community. All the plays we’ve chosen–all the ones we have done over the past eight years — what they have in common is that there is something very tangible to grab onto, and then there is this kind of lift off moment,” Fiffer said. “We want each play we perform to speak to our audience, and also to speak to the moment. We move from the story to a universal place that feels more relatable.”
Opening night on Nov. 1 includes a celebration with champagne, desserts and conversation following the play. The play runs through Nov. 23.
Fiffer said she has long hoped to be able to bring “Mary Jane” to Firelight.
“This play has been on our radar for a while. We have been keeping our eye on this material for years,” Fiffer. “This play crosses over 80 years of life; it includes hardship and loss, but it will lift us up. To get people to walk out and think, yes, it is all worth it — that is our calling.”
Firelight partnered with RISE for Baby and Family, Peterborough’s River Center and Monadnock Development Services to check the accuracy of caregiver roles in the performance.
“We wanted to ensure that the people who are represented in this play can be a part of our process and that the portrayals will be accurate,” Fiffer said.
On Nov. 9, Alicia Dever of RISE will participate in a talkback session after the play.
“We wanted to have a conversation with people who are delivering care, talk to people who are experiencing care,” Fiffer said.
RISE, which provides family-centered support and therapeutic services for infants and toddlers who have or are at risk for developmental delays and disabilities, has created a ticket fund for clients to see “Mary Jane” free of charge.
Firelight is also offering a discount for parents of young children.
“The discount for parents signals that ‘this is for you!’ As a parent of young children, you see that something is 7 p.m. on Tuesday, and it’s like, ‘I can’t do that.” But when you see a discount just for parents, maybe you think, ‘Oh, that is for me!’”
The Firelight space is in the New Guernsey Building, 70 Grove St., Peterborough. Parking and an accessible entrance is available through the rear parking lot. For tickets and information, visit firelighttheatreworkshop.com/projects.