Eleemosynary
Eleemosynary follows the relationships between three generations of women. Staged with utmost simplicity, using platforms and a few props, the play probes into the complex interplay of the characters: the grandmother, Dorothea, who has sought to assert her independence through strong-willed eccentricity; her brilliant daughter, Artie (Artemis), who has fled the stifling domination of her mother; and Artie's daughter, Echo, a child of exceptional intellect-and sensitivity, whom Artie has abandoned to an upbringing by Dorothea. As the play begins, Dorothea has suffered a stroke and Echo has reestablished contact with her mother, Artie. Conversations ensue about the precocious Echo's single-minded domination of a national spelling contest. In the end, both Artie and Echo come to accept their mutual needs. After so many years of alienation, they come to an agreement to build a life together, despite the risks and terrors that this holds for both of them.
