The Violet Sisters (Owl & Cat) – theatre review

Sisters tearing strips off each other in the wake of their father’s death as Hurricane Sandy* rips apart large swathes of the United States. That is what confronts patrons attending the emotion-charged drama, The Violet Sisters.

The women, Sam (Jennifer Monk), now aged 35 and 30-year-old Pam (Leticia Monaghan), haven’t seen each other for eight years. In fact, in that time, they have had no contact – no phone calls, no emails, no reaching out to one another in times of need. Pam only found out through others that had inundated her on social media that her dad had passed away. She had just returned to her Californian home after holidaying with her unemployed husband when she packed in her job to rush to her sibling’s side … only to be greeted by a baseball bat-wielding banshee.

It is pitch dark, the power is out, there is no running water and Pam turns up, two suitcases in hand, soon after 5 in the morning. Although she has crisscrossed the country over 72 hours and slept on the ground in airport terminals just to get to Brooklyn, Sam is far from happy to see her. The house is in total disarray, as if vagrants or squatters had taken over and lived in squalour.

In the lead up to their father’s funeral, which Sam declares she has no intention of attending, these women have it out. All their emotional baggage is laid bare and dirty secrets are revealed, one after another, confidences that have shaped their lives. Pam resents that as the younger sister for years she had to look after Sam, but what she doesn’t realise is that Sam was at pains to protect her. Their father sought solace from a bottle, while Sam attempted suicide and Pam … well, she is in a bad marriage.

Brooklyn born and based-playwright Gina Femia has masterfully crafted an intense and potent work, filled with anger and angst and derision. Under Sarah Vickery’s direction, we dare not look away for a second save we miss another whack, for – make no mistake – these sisters hit and hit hard. The poisoned air between them is palpable. In career-defining performances, Leticia Monaghan and Jennifer Monk dig deep to inhabit the souls of their traumatised characters.

The set design by Josephine Wagstaff is unforgettable – a filthy, rotten mess of a kitchen that reeks of despair and parallels the rotting corpse of a relationship between siblings.

Compelling, confrontational and cathartic – to a point – The Violet Sisters is another triumph for one of the most progressive and innovative independent theatre venues. It is playing at The Owl and Cat Theatre, 34 Swan Street, Richmond, until 27th May.

*Hurricane Sandy, which struck in October 2012, was the second costliest hurricane in US history. It affected 24 American states and severely damaged New York.

Alex First