The Mother (Jeni Hacker) and The Son (Davis Parks) interact in Zoetic Stage’s The Mother. (Photo credit: Justin Namon/Courtesy Adrienne Arsht Center. )
By Raquel V. Reyes
Zoetic Stage’s sixteenth season has opened with a tantalizing, psychological, playful dark comedy that has the audience second-guessing, laughing, and gasping in surprise. The Mother by Florian Zeller, translated from French by Christopher Hampton, is described by the playwright as a black farce.
The play’s tight and twisty dialogue has nods to Harold Pinter, an influence acknowledged by Zeller. But for those who are unfamiliar with the theater of the absurd and the comedy of menace styles, a pop culture comparison would be the mid-century film classics of Alfred Hitchcock, such as Rear Window and Vertigo. Director Stuart Meltzer’s version of The Mother is equally as stylish and enthralling as any Hitchcock suspense.
Every part of this show is in perfect harmony with the other parts, from design to performance. There are no rough edges or weak links. It is a pleasure to watch such a polished piece of live theater. And it is a testimony to the talents and skills of the team.
The audience waits for the opening curtain with trippy ’60s and ’70s tunes that feel like the random and odd playlist at a doctor’s office. A stark white, austere set mirrors that clinical vibe, but the mitered molding and wall sconces allude to a well-off living room. Jacob Brown, Scenic Designer, has built an exquisite canvas for the actors. It speaks without yelling and allows the Groundhog Day-like repetition of scenes that are to follow their plausible reality.
Rebecca Montero’s lighting design is brilliant in all senses of the word. After a harsh bump flash that takes the set from dark to full like a blinding migraine, we see a delicate, wispy woman folded in the corner of the couch. It is The Mother played by Jeni Hacker. Once The Father, played by Stephen G. Anthony, and she converse, a circular exchange that feels like a missing scene from His Girl Friday with Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell, the audience begins to question if it is the viewer or the viewed that is off kilter.
Jeni Hacker and Steve Anthony
Hacker and Anthony are impeccable. Not only are they flawless in their memorialization of the lines, but they deliver them in a spectacular Mid-Atlantic accent that is so natural the audience need not waste energy trying to place it. The characters are without a doubt posh. Kudos to the actors and Dialect Consultant, Rebecca Covey. When Davis Parks, The Son, enters in the third scene, we see grey and red emerge as themes in the costume (Laura Turnbull) and properties (Natasha Lopes Hernandez) designs. A bowl of red berries becomes symbolic of childhood tenderness. A flopping piece of pumpernickel punctuates a vicious comment. The Mother and The Girl (Allie Beltran) both wear red dresses at points. The cut and style of each reinforce the fears and desires of a mind spiraling into crisis.
When a wall panel opens to reveal a pianist (Jeff Hess) bathed in blue light and fog, tinkling the ivories as if in a heavenly piano bar, the loose grasp on reality is confirmed. The titular character is having a mental health breakdown. While the play explores a mother’s obsession with her son, midlife doldrums, and neurotic fears through a dark comedic lens, it never jokes at the validity of the pain.
The Mother is a must see. And the production’s program book is a must read. The interviews and insights will deepen the appreciation for the thoughtful work put into Zoetic Stage’s The Mother. But read it after you’ve experienced the show, so as not to miss out on the stomach-dropping ride.
One sense in particular, hat tip to Fight Director Ted DeChatelet, will have you clutching your chest in shock. All in all, The Mother is a delirious and delightful fever dream that niggles the brain. Bring a friend and enjoy an afterparty for conversation.
The Mother from Zoetic Stage plays through Nov. 23 at the Carnival Studio at the Adrienne Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami. Performances 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $66-$72. Visit https://www.arshtcenter.org/tickets/2025-2026/theater-up-close/the-mother/
Raquel V. Reyes is the author of the award-winning Caribbean Kitchen Mystery series. Her latest novel is Barbacoa, Bomba, and Betrayal. Find her across social media as @LatinaSleuths and at www.LatinaSleuths. com.
Jeni Hacker and Allie Beltran
A PaperStreet Web Design
