Robby Haltiwanger as Mike, Danielle Skraastad as Maryanne, and Michael Frederic as James in the Premiere Stages production of Linger by Craig Garcia. Photo by Mike Peters.
Linger is a new play running at Kean University’s Premiere Stages. Written by Craig Garcia, Linger is the winner of the 2018 Premiere Play Festival run annually by Premiere Stages. This powerful new work deals with a family who must confront a difficult situation that the son finds himself in. The story of Linger brings out a rather frightening aspect of how social media is affecting teenagers today and what it does to family life. How much do parents really know about the world their child is living in? How prepared are teens for the social networking world and all its hazards? These points are raised in Linger with some shocking results.
Direction from John J. Wooten makes this production very contemporary because it addresses issues often seen in today’s high tech world. A well designed and smart looking set by Scenic Designer Harry Feiner provides views of the family’s life inside their home and at the mother’s workplace. The home is comfortable and slightly upscale implying that the family lives in a nice middle-class neighborhood. The mother, Maryanne, is a doctor and her office becomes an integral part of the plot.
Sarah Kathryn Makl as Summer and Robby Haltiwanger as Mike in the Premiere Stages production of Linger by Craig Garcia. Photo by Mike Peters.
The play opens with the entire family preparing to go out to an event. Issues that are not so difficult to deal with such as what shoes or what shirt to wear are the heaviest issues. But the first signs of discord within the family start to emerge as daughter Summer is very put out when her parents ask her to stop playing around on her mobile device and go get ready. She is belligerent responding to their request. It’s almost as if she is addicted to using her smart phone and has lost her ability to speak kindly to her parents. The parents appear to have no control over how much she uses the device.
Will Ehren as Bobby and Danielle Skraastad as Maryanne in the Premiere Stages production of Linger by Craig Garcia. Photo by Mike Peters.
What they do not know is that Summer is following what people are saying about a terrible incident that happened at a party to a young man named Bobby. After awhile, her brother Mike’s name is mentioned. She says nothing to her parents. Mike has a bruise that he does not seem willing to explain to his parents. They accept his brush off. But everything changes when the police come and arrest him saying that he was involved with the incident at the party. The father, James, staunchly stands by his son. But the mother, Maryanne, is faced with a difficult problem when Bobby and his father, Gerald come to her office for help. She has been Bobby’s physician for years so this was logical for them to come except Mike is involved. Bobby is gay and the problem stems from someone not being willing to accept that. Or so it seems to Maryanne until she learns of her son’s involvement.
As the play continues, social networking descends on Summer opening another set of issues. The strain is great and it takes its toll.
A strong cast gives Linger a forcefulness that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats during the production. The parents are played by Jonathan C. Kaplan as Gerald, Danielle Skraastad, as Maryanne, and Michael Frederic as James. Playing the roles of the children are Robby Haltiwanger as Mike, Sarah Kathryn Makl as Summer, and Will Ehren as Bobby.
Linger is well written with dialog that flows easily. The characters are well developed allowing the story to enter new territory that society is going to have to learn to deal with. Craig Garcia’s play is one that has come at the right time. Not only is it a dynamic piece of theater, but it also is a social study of the world we are developing and living in today.
Additional Information About Linger:
Running Time: Approximately 2 hours which includes one intermission
Location: Kean University’s Bauer Boucher Theatre Center at Vaughn Eames Hall, 1000 Morris Avenue, Union, N.J.
Performances: July 12-29 on Thursdays and Fridays at 8:00 pm, Saturdays at 3:00 pm and 8:00 pm, and Sundays at 3:00 pm.
Contact for Info and Tickets: To make reservations or to order a season brochure, please call the box office at 908-737-7469 or visit Premiere Stages online at www.premierestagesatkean.com.
Audience members are invited to further engage with the issues raised by Mr. Garcia’s thought-provoking play through Premiere Stages’ 2018 talk-back series, which offers free post-show discussions with community leaders and local experts after select matinee performances (July 14, 22 and 28 at 3:00 pm). Premiere will also offer a series of informal pre-show talks every Saturday evening 30 minutes prior to performance in the lobby of the theatre.