Ernestine Ashworth celebrates her birthday with a birthday cake every year, from the time she was 17 until the age of 101, though the actress never physically ages. In 90 minutes on stage in her kitchen, we see her life in about two dozen brief scenes as she interacts with her mother, her husband, children and grandchildren in one of the most powerful, yet subtle explorations of a woman’s life. People’s Light is presenting this extraordinary journey by playwright Noah Haidle.
It begins with 17-year-old Ernestine (Teri Lamm) arguing with her mother about how she doesn’t want to be typical- she wants much more out of life. She wants to find a special place in the universe for herself.
We watch her deal with adolescence, with a spouse, with kids, and with life and death. They are the problems we all face, and they change as we change. Will she or the other characters in this smart play ever fulfill their hopes and dreams?
What appears to be a comedy as kids deal with parents and vice versa, we soon realize that the comedy of life is also the tragedy of it. What or whom can we count on? Perhaps life is nothing more than the goldfish, with a 3-second memory that was a gift to Ernestine and which she replaces regularly throughout the play.
Another thing that strangely binds some of the women as they deal with the stress of relationships is nail polish. But the big uniter is the birthday cake which Ernestine prepares every year as her growing and aging family comes to celebrate with her.
The younger generation criticizes the older generation until they became the elders and get criticized by their kids. Mental illness, divorce, finding careers, and death are always problems that confront Ernestine. Has she fulfilled her destiny and realized her hopes and dreams? Have any of us?
Some scenes are 6 or 7 minutes- others are less than a minute. But time continues to pass, and relationships change as new children are born, age, and become part of the fabric of this family’s tale.
In addition to her family over the years, there is also Kenneth, Ernestine’s awkward neighbor who has a crush on her. Many of the actors who play these roles effectively double and triple as their descendants without a significant change of costume! It is a remarkable piece of theater to see so much life compressed into an hour and a half.
Director Abigail Adams has done an extraordinary job in bringing what can be most complicated and confusing stories to the audience in such an effective and interesting way with this wonderful ensemble. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention each one- Claire Inie-Richards, Kevin Bergen, Ian Merrill Peakes, Jacob Orr, Juliana Zinkel, and of course, Teri Lamm. They were all great! It’s a unique piece of theater, and I loved it.
Birthday Candles” by Noah Haidle at People’s Light, 39 Conestoga Rd., Malvern, PA 19355, 610-644-3500, peopleslight.org Thru May 4, 2025
Philadelphia Theater Reviews by Frank Burd 