MOTHER KNOWS BEST
BY deb radloff
Directed by Blayze Teicher
New Light Theatre Project, 2016
Based on actual events, Mother Knows Best is a comedy that fictionalizes a mother, Dore Shechter, who is forced to come to terms with a gambling addiction by her daughter in order to see her grandson.
Press
BroadwayWorld
The Challenge
Lead the creative process for Deb Radloff’s one-person play. While approaching the material with sensitivity towards the real-life events that inspired the play, balance humor and vulnerability in staging the production.
The Insight
Boundaries can be the key to saving relationships.
The Directorial Concept
Building on dramaturgical research by Elyzabeth Gormon, we staged the play within the setting of a gambling addiction support group. Empty chairs, each adorned with key costume pieces, served as visual reminders of the people Dore steamrolled throughout her story. Our lighting design created distinct emotional benchmarks - marking Dore’s breakthroughs and setbacks in real time, allowing the audience to track her emotional journey as it unfolded.
by: Deb Radloff
directed by: Blayze Teicher
dramaturgy by: Elyzabeth Gormon
production design by: Emma Matters
stage managed by: Kate Payne
starring: Deb Radloff