Returning to the Ireland homestead of his youth after his father dies, Charlie struggles to make sense of his parents' ghosts as he relives his growing up years.

"We're middle-aged and parentless. We've moved to the top of the queue."

Some of the dialogue is quite sharp. And despite its general melancholy, the script speaks with whit and charm. Unfortunately, portions of that sweet Irish brogue are ununderstandable.

Both Rees Pugh and T.J. Marchbank as Charlie are strong, but it's really David Doty and Amelia White who shine as they bring Charlie's dead parents to life, replaying Charlie's sense and senseless memories as ghosts.

A middle-aged crisis? A suffering of sentiment? A review of tough family decisions and perspective? The play offers no arcs for characters, nor a clear resolution. It's a slice of a long life -- a frustrating struggle to resolve family conflicts kept alive longer than the family.

But because it's so word-driven, it might work better as a book than a live work. Despite a respectable production here, the overall effect still feels a bit bland. The only improvement I can suggest is to slow down the delivery of the lines at the risk of wounding that nice pace. Give the audience a chance to enjoy the specific lines, which remain more delicious than the story.

-- Books by Author/Illustrator Ross Anthony --