"It Was Really Heartwarming and Simultaneously Heartbreaking:" Lorene Cary's Ladysitting

On February 22, Ms. Waber and Ms. Taylor took the entire 10th grade along with the 12th graders in drama to see the play Ladysitting. Before the play, the field trip itself had a major setback: three chaperones canceled the morning of. The lack of adult supervision for such a large group of students created a sense of worry for Ms. Waber and the other chaperones who did show up. When questioned about it, Ms. Waber explained that she was, “unable to focus on the play for around the first fifteen minutes. I was just making sure everyone was settled.” 

Death comes in many forms, but in Ladysitting, one of the most impactful forms can be your Father. Based on the memoir of the same title, Ladysitting by Lorene Cary is the story of a bitter, bedridden grandmother and her family as they battle her impending death. 

The play begins with Nana on hospice in Cary’s house, along with her husband, Bob, and her daughter Zoe. The first of many arguments in the play is about a toilet being placed in Nana’s room. Despite her family's pleas to make her life more convenient, Nana is insistent that she doesn’t need it, and is repulsed at the idea of sharing the same room with a toilet. Eventually, the toilet is put into the room. The entirety of Ladysitting is acted with only five characters; Lorene-played by Melanye Finister-Nana, Zoe, Bob, and an Angel of Life and Death. 

Despite the very limited cast, many Masterman viewers found the acting raw, emotional, and most of all, exceptional. In a Google Form response, one student wrote, “I enjoy the raw emotions it portrayed throughout the entire play. There was no time where I wasn't engaged.” Philadelphia native Brian Anthony Wilson played the Angel of Life and Death, a recurring character who guided Nana into her eventual passing. However, not everyone enjoyed the tiny cast. One of the main issues being Zoe, an eighth grader, being portrayed by a middle aged woman. In Ms. Waber’s words, it was “awkward.” Ms. Waber also mentioned that the play may have been “overacted.” Aiding Waber’s thoughts, when asked what they disliked about the play, a student answered, “the [Grandma’s] actor was played [out so much], she was actually a pain to watch.”

Another issue many 10th graders had with Ladysitting was the length. Ladysitting played for ninety minutes with no intermission. However, the first play that 10th graders and 12th graders in drama saw this year, This Is The Week That Is, played at two hours with a fifteen minute intermission, yet no viewers complained about the length. One student passionately wrote, “I thought that it was a poorly written story that was stretched out for an hour and a half, when it could've been ten minutes. I thought it was very boring, and wanted it to end.” Another student wrote, “It was a ninety minute play that had a one minute meaning behind it.” Some students also disliked the setting of the play, stating it was “confusing” and “could’ve been better.” On the other hand, most students enjoyed the use of the Arden Theatre’s small stage, writing, “I enjoy[ed] how they utilized the little space given to picture a bigger setting.”

Aside from its flaws, Ladysitting was likable to many 10th graders. Out of 71 responses, 49.3% report that it was good, and another 25.4% declared that they would recommend it to a friend. Although many students stated the play didn’t connect with them in any way, the family dynamic and themes in Ladysitting still managed to move some students–and even teachers, like Ms. Taylor, who was sobbing by the end. One student wrote, “I recently lost my grandma and she was once my caretaker and it turned into my family taking care of her. It was definitely hard at times but I think the play reminded me that there are struggles on both sides.” Some students also related to the mental consequences of being a full time caretaker of someone and the hardships of commitment. Another student wrote, “I think I related to the main character's state of tiredness after she committed to taking care of her grandmother, since I take a lot of commitments that drain me.” 

Overall, the second play seen by Masteman students this year, Ladysitting, had very mixed reviews. Despite students’ differing opinions, it’s no surprise that Ms. Waber, both an English and Drama teacher, decided to take both 10th and select 12th graders to see it, and it seemed to have an impact on all of its viewers.