Last night, Dan and I head downtown to sup with my sister and her bf before taking in After the Apple, a series of 10 short plays by local women.  Are we fashionably intellectual, or what?

Sushi at Nami delights, as usual, and even Pronto, on his strict diet and fitness plan, is able to enjoy a full meal.

After Mary's bf Shae picks up the tab (holla!), we head across town to The Playwright's Center, a small theater in our old neighborhood.  Birth mom Martha meets us at the box office.  We're about to witness her "for art's sake" directorial debut - she took the helm for three of the ten pieces.

Her first piece, “Two Boys: Eins and One” by Beth Gilleland, is fourth in the line-up.  It's a long and difficult monologue about two boys at a funeral.  The actor has a beautiful face and a warm voice, and I'm drawn into the story. I also adore Beth Gilleland because a million years ago at my high school, she performed a compelling and hilarious one-woman, autobiographical show. My grade: A+.

Martha's next piece, "Crawlspace" by Christina Ham, follows immediately.  The lighting (conceived by family hero, Michael Pettee, husband and partner of Martha) is creeptastic. It fits because the play, the (a-hem) climax of which is an on-stage guy-on-girl oral sex scene, is also creeptastic.  As a former Catholic schoolgirl, I have a hard time thinking about the themes because I'm stunned by the fact that an actor uses a Ken doll as an (a-hem) implement at the close of the piece.

After intermission, we see "After the Fire" by Ann Byrd, a relatable and sincere story about a mother and daughter coming to terms with time and loss. The actor playing the mother has me at hello, so to speak.  Thinking about it now, I pronounce this third piece my favorite of the Pettee Three, of course because of the directorial decision-making and also because of actor Wendy's sensibility.

If you like theater at all, I recommend After the Apple.  It makes me feel smart to have been in the audience.