What is unique to this play and what should have been its central selling point is that Caroline is trans and her day-to-day life has been getting more complicated more dangerous every day.  She needs a new school, new doctor, new therapy – in short, an entirely new support system.  Grandma can certainly provide all of this – but she, of course, wants to provide it on her own terms – and her own terms do not include her daughter holding the reigns of the decisions.

The strengths of the play lie in the acting abilities of River Lipe-Smilth as the 9-year-old Caroline.  She portrays such a beautifully understated child that captures the wit and creativity of the character without falling into some annoying, precocious caricature.  She really stays in every scene with her adult counterparts and gives them a run for their money.

Another strength of both the writing and the acting of the play was the ability and willingness of these three women to roll up their sleeves and really fight for what they believed in.  Nobody fights like family and these three really lived those words!

I did wonder why the play did almost nothing with a trans character – not that it had to be some totally shocking event to have a trans character in a play – but it does introduce some unique challenges and dynamics that the playwright seemingly didn’t want to pick up and play with.  Most of the play focused on a mother debating whether she should forgive her addict daughter AGAIN – or is it going to be another failure like it always has been before.  

It was a good play about addicts and forgiveness or lack thereof but I do think the trans character and his/her issues could have added a new fresh dynamic into this battle