Nik's Review: The Things I Wish My Mother Would Have Told Me

The Things I Wish My Mother Would Have Told Me is a play that makes no attempt to conform to traditional rules of drama. While the play does progress through a story and uses many common dramatic devices - music, lighting, and props - it seems to be more acute than the typical Broadway show. Perovetz has a journey to relate and, not for a single moment, does she deviate onto another topic. Her mother died of breast cancer when Mia Perovetz was 11 and it took her a dozen or more years to figure out what it really meant. She struggled and suffered, and was only recently able to discover who she was without her mother.

The play begins shakily with a lot of mood to which the audience is not able to relate. The story had not progressed far enough to warrant the depth of feeling seen in Mia's acting. But it's not long before the plot catches up with the dramatic opening. And once it does, Perovetz's play delivers on a level very rarely touched by any single story or any single experience. It has comedy that will make you laugh and drama that will make your eyes itch. The writing is smart and thoughtful and when combined with an excellent score, the play goes well beyond all expectations for such a small production.

However, the play is not meant for everyone. Because the play is so focused, so too is the intended audience. The average holidays-musical-goer will not appreciate much of the struggle faced throughout the monologue. It would be far too easy to just say, "Oh wow, just snap out of it and move on already" when Mia is acting out her seemingly desperate experiences. And yet, for those who have been there, and felt what she felt, it is never just that easy. Perovetz's desire to shout her own experiences to the world is hardly new, but her unique approach through acting and monologue push this play above the average and make it exceptional.